Gov’t Galamsey Progress Doesn’t Match Reality on the Ground – A Rocha Ghana

Deputy Director of A Rocha Ghana, Daryl Bosu, has challenged the government’s claims of progress in the fight against illegal mining (galamsey), insisting that they do not mirror the daily realities of communities grappling with the menace.

Speaking on Citi Eyewitness News after a stakeholder meeting between President John Dramani Mahama and civil society organisations in Accra on Friday, October 3, Bosu argued that the situation presented at the engagement failed to capture the true extent of suffering in mining-affected communities.

“If you really are going to be very truthful and face the fact, if you go to the communities and hear the stories of frustrations, the stories of intimidations from illegal miners, whatever we heard on the screens today is not a true reflection of the sentiment of the people who are feeling the brunt of the illegal mess,” Bosu said.

He highlighted persistent challenges such as water pollution, closure of treatment facilities, and ongoing threats to local residents, which, according to him, were not adequately addressed during the discussions.

“The water pollution in communities, the shutdown of water treatment facilities and all of that is not representative of what we heard today. So whatever the government says it is doing, it is about time we see it reflect in the true state of affairs on the ground,” he added.

The stakeholder meeting formed part of a broader national initiative to engage civil society and environmental groups in shaping policy and accountability frameworks for addressing the galamsey crisis.