By Valentia Tetteh
The Minority Caucus in Parliament has welcomed the Presbyterian Church of Ghana’s nationwide anti-galamsey campaign, describing it as a timely intervention in the country’s fight against illegal mining and environmental degradation.
In a statement issued by the Minority on Parliament’s Select Committee on Lands and Natural Resources, the caucus commended the Church for dedicating a “Red Sunday” campaign to raising awareness about the growing threat posed by galamsey.
“The decision of one of Ghana’s most respected religious institutions to dedicate a ‘Red Sunday’ campaign to the fight against galamsey is a clear indication of the depth of concern across the country about the worsening state of our environment and water bodies,” the statement said.
The Minority noted that the destruction of rivers, forests and farmlands had reached crisis levels and called for a united national response to address the challenge.
While acknowledging efforts by successive governments to tackle illegal mining, the caucus argued that the problem continues to persist and requires a more sustainable and institutionalised approach.
“As a responsible opposition party, we remind Ghanaians that the current government rode to power largely on the back of strong promises to end galamsey through its Reset Agenda. Yet, in less than two years, the menace persists and, by many accounts, has become even more widespread and destructive,” the statement noted.
The Minority stressed that the fight against galamsey should not be reduced to partisan politics but should be treated as a national governance and law enforcement issue.
“The fight against galamsey must not be reduced to partisan point-scoring. A key step in arresting and sustainably containing galamsey is to deliberately remove it from partisan politics and treat it as a strictly national enforcement and governance issue,” the caucus stated.
The statement further alleged that illegal mining activities have, at various times, been enabled or protected by politically exposed individuals and other influential actors, underscoring the need for stronger institutions and stricter enforcement mechanisms insulated from political interference.
The caucus also called on faith-based organisations, traditional authorities, civil society groups, the media and the general public to support the campaign and contribute to efforts aimed at protecting the country’s natural resources.
According to the Minority, previous anti-galamsey interventions, including Operation Vanguard, GalamStop and the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), have yielded mixed results because of changing political priorities and inadequate institutional backing.
To ensure continuity in the fight against illegal mining, the caucus proposed the formalisation of NAIMOS through a Legislative Instrument (L.I.) to clearly define its mandate, powers, accountability structures and operational independence.
“What Ghana needs is a sustainable institutional framework that transcends political administrations. In this regard, NAIMOS should be formalised and given structure through the necessary Legislative Instruments, which clearly define its mandate, powers, structure, accountability mechanisms and operational independence,” the statement said.
The Minority expressed optimism that such legal backing would help shield anti-galamsey efforts from political interference and establish a more credible and permanent national response to the menace.
The statement was signed by the Ranking Member of Parliament’s Committee on Lands and Natural Resources and Member of Parliament for Mampong, Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong.
