‘Mr President, let this be your legacy term’ – Prof Aning urges bold action on galamsey

Security analyst Professor Kwasi Aning has issued a powerful and emotional appeal to President John Mahama, urging him to make good on his promise to fight illegal mining, known locally as galamsey, and reclaim the environment before leaving office.

Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Tuesday, April 8, he described the situation as a national disgrace and called on the President to demonstrate the political will to confront the crisis head-on.

His comments followed Interior Minister Alhaji Muntaka Mubarak’s directive to the Inspector General of Police to immediately transfer all regional, divisional, and district police commanders stationed in mining areas.

The move, according to the minister, is meant to uproot entrenched inaction by officers who have failed to tackle the illegal mining menace despite years of deployment.

Also, foreign nationals who are caught involved in galamsey will be arrested and deported without prosecution.

But Prof. Aning was far from impressed by the minister’s move.

He described it as a populist gesture that lacks proper planning and fails to address the structural and political inertia that has allowed galamsey to flourish.

“I have absolutely no sympathy,” Prof. Aning began. “I detest being an independent Ghanaian in Kwame Nkrumah’s Ghana and being treated like a second-class citizen.”

In a direct address to the President, he continued: “Let me appeal to His Excellency, the President directly—Mr. President, this is your legacy term. Let it matter and let it count.

“Your minister has demonstrated an unwillingness and a reluctance to hold the bull by the horns and resolve this crisis.”

Prof. Aning warned that failure to act decisively would only embolden criminal networks, both local and transnational.

“This is a policy that will serve as an attraction for even worse criminals to come,” he cautioned.

“They know we don’t have the capacity to prosecute them. They know we don’t have the political will to do what is right for the people of this country.”

He described the approach taken by the Interior Ministry as short-sighted, performative, and potentially disastrous.

“This is not a time to proceed forth with cosmetic gestures,” he said. “Mr. President, please rescind this policy before this country is destroyed.”

The security expert expressed outrage at what he called a double standard in how laws are applied in Ghana.

“We cannot have a two-tier law. We cannot have a two-tier implementation process,” he said.

“The manner in which this has been presented to the Republic of Ghana is shameful. Mr. President, it is not thought through. It is populist, and it’s a disgrace.”

While he acknowledged the potential benefit of reassessing police performance in mining zones, Prof. Aning stressed that such measures must be data-driven, targeted, and backed by resources.

“We need to give the police officers performance indicators, but we also need to give them the resources, Your Excellency, so that the three months can be tested and their results checked.”

Returning to the President’s own words, Prof. Aning reminded him of the pledge he made in the State of the Nation Address to protect Ghana’s environment and secure the future.

“Let this be your legacy term by reclaiming the environment, as you promised the people of Ghana,” he concluded.

His call adds to growing pressure on government leaders to treat the galamsey crisis not just as an environmental concern, but as a full-blown national security emergency—one that will define the legacy of the President and the integrity of Ghana’s governance.