Former Member of Parliament for Asante Akim North, Andy Kwame Appiah-Kubi, has urged a collective, non-partisan approach to tackling illegal small-scale mining, popularly known as galamsey.
He emphasised that the fight against the destructive practice can only succeed if traditional leaders and local communities are actively involved.
“We must do away with the politics and fight galamsey. This fight cannot be won without the support of the Chiefs and the community members who know the whereabouts of the miners,” Appiah-Kubi stated on The Key Points on TV3 on Saturday, October 11.
He stressed that while government policies and enforcement agencies are critical, meaningful results will only come when those closest to the problem are part of the solution.
According to him, chiefs and opinion leaders possess firsthand knowledge of illegal mining sites and must therefore play a central role in identifying and stopping such activities.
Appiah-Kubi’s call adds to ongoing national discussions about the most effective strategies to curb galamsey, which continues to degrade water bodies and threaten livelihoods in mining communities.
Meanwhile, legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has thrown his support behind President John Dramani Mahama’s position against calls for a state of emergency in galamsey-affected areas. Kpebu believes such a declaration would not necessarily improve enforcement on the ground.
“What is it that we can’t do now, but only a state of emergency will allow us to do?
“A declaration of a state of emergency is a paper; it is not a magic wand. You will still need the police to enforce it,” Kpebu argued on The Key Points.
He maintained that the police already have sufficient legal powers to intervene in illegal mining operations and that the government should rather strengthen and direct their efforts within existing laws.
“Under the law, currently, the Police can help; they are allowed to go and stop the galamseyer, and the president says that after that they [Police] will have a prominent presence in the forest,” Kpebu added.
