Former National Security Minister, Francis Poku, has warned that illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, has become so deeply rooted in Ghana’s economy that security crackdowns alone will not solve the problem.
Speaking in a television interview with TV3 on Tuesday, he explained the powerful lure that keeps young people tied to the practice.
“Young people are not leaving galamsey because the economic attraction is enormous. Some are earning up to GH¢70,000 a week.
“As long as that reality exists and the alternatives cannot compete, security crackdowns will not end the practice,” he stressed.
Mr. Poku cautioned that while security interventions are important, they cannot be the only strategy.
“Force has its place, but it cannot be the only solution,” he noted.
“We must create alternatives that are attractive enough to draw people away from galamsey.
“Without that, the cycle will continue, and the problem will become even more entrenched.”
He further warned that the scale of galamsey’s economic power has made it more than just an environmental challenge.
“The economic strength behind galamsey is now so strong that we must treat it as a national security issue,” he said, urging policymakers to view it as an existential threat to stability.
Ending with a stark caution, the former security chief said Ghana risks losing control of the situation if the problem continues to be handled only with force.
“If we continue to rely only on force without addressing the economic side, we risk a situation that will be far more difficult to control,” he concluded.
