An illegal small-scale miner has shocked many with his staggering account of wealth accumulation through galamsey, revealing that he purchased seven Mercedes Benz Sprinter buses in just one week using proceeds from his illicit mining activities.
The anonymous miner made this revelation during an interview on the Ultimate Breakfast Show with host Julius Caesar Anadem. According to him, back in 2014, one Sprinter bus cost around GH¢80,000, but he managed to buy seven after only a week of working on a galamsey concession.
“In 2014, one Sprinter Bus cost GH¢80,000 but I bought seven after working for just a week in a galamsey concession. Tell me, which kind of job can give you this amount of money? Which kind of job?” the miner posed rhetorically.
The illegal miner went on to say that his workers could have made even more money had they not been restricted by the fear of getting caught by security forces. He hinted at the greater opportunities available to those with political connections, stating, “This was just a quick work we were doing. So imagine the politician who has all the protection to go in there to mine.”
A Corrupt System
The miner’s revelation underscores the deep-seated corruption and systemic failure surrounding illegal mining, known locally as “galamsey,” which has devastated Ghana’s environment, particularly its rivers and forest reserves. He pointed out that the network of individuals benefiting from the illegal trade cuts across all strata of society, including politicians, wealthy businessmen, religious leaders, and even traditional authorities.
Chiefs, who are expected to be the custodians of the land, were not left out of his critique. The miner accused some chiefs of not only selling their lands for galamsey but also of preventing efforts to reclaim the degraded land.
“We often blame the Chinese who came in with the excavators for destroying the lands and leaving huge pits. But the chiefs will never allow you to cover the pits and reclaim the land,” he disclosed. According to him, chiefs often let others return to these pits to continue mining, ensuring a constant flow of income.
The Struggle Against Illegal Mining
The miner’s bleak outlook on the fight against galamsey came to the fore when he stated that “miners will continue to mine until the world draws to an end,” expressing skepticism about the government’s ability to stop the practice.
His statements come at a time when the government is under mounting pressure to intensify its crackdown on illegal mining operations, which have devastated the country’s natural resources. According to reports, illegal mining activities have affected 34 of Ghana’s 288 forest reserves, leaving river bodies polluted beyond acceptable turbidity levels.
Recent protests demanding urgent government action have escalated. The arrest of 54 demonstrators from the Democracy Hub movement, who protested against galamsey, has ignited further demonstrations and calls for the government to release them and take decisive action against illegal miners.
A National Crisis
The galamsey menace has led organized labor groups to threaten nationwide strikes if the government fails to declare a state of emergency over the country’s water bodies and forest reserves. Labor unions are demanding that the president deploy security forces to halt illegal mining and repeal L.I. 2462, which allows for mining in forest reserves.
In addition to the environmental destruction, there are growing health concerns due to the use of harmful chemicals like mercury and cyanide in the extraction process. The Ghana Health Service has warned of an increase in cases of organ damage, nervous system disorders, and birth defects as these toxic substances seep into water sources and the food chain.
As the illegal miner’s story demonstrates, galamsey is a lucrative and deeply entrenched practice in Ghana, posing an existential threat to the country’s environment and public health. Many are calling for urgent and lasting reforms to end the practice and safeguard the nation’s future.
