Ghana cannot win the galamsey fight without sincerity at the top – Kofi Bentil

Senior Vice President of IMANI Africa, Kofi Bentil, has delivered a sobering assessment of Ghana’s fight against illegal mining, warning that the country is losing the battle due to a lack of genuine commitment from its leadership.

Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, October 4, Mr. Bentil stated that despite years of debate, campaigns, and promises from successive governments, galamsey remains rampant and continues to wreak havoc on the environment.

“We’ve talked and talked. I have said all kinds of things — some taken, some not taken. But look, activity is not the same as progress. We are seeing a lot of activity, a lot of talk, but no progress. Galamsey is getting worse, so we don’t need more talk,” he said.

He highlighted that although the government has taken steps to regulate the gold sector, such as establishing the Goldboard and mobilising resources, these efforts have done little to address the root problem of illegal mining.

“Despite all the mountain of talk when this government came in, nothing or not much has been done in terms of stopping galamsey. We’ve passed laws, created institutions, and even mobilised billions of dollars’ worth of gold — but we have not been able to stop galamsey,” Mr. Bentil lamented.

According to him, the failure is not due to lack of ideas or resources, but rather an absence of political will. He argued that those in authority seem more interested in exploiting the proceeds of galamsey than ending it, treating the menace as a political tool rather than an existential threat.

“I’ve come to the conclusion that we will not win the galamsey fight. There is no sincerity in doing that. It is not you and I who have to solve galamsey, it is the President, his cabinet, his ministers, and the people we have given authority to. To me, they have no interest in solving it because they think not solving it has better political benefits for them,” he said.

Bentil further cautioned that the long-term consequences of unchecked galamsey far outweigh any short-term political or financial gains. He warned that the destruction of Ghana’s water bodies, forests, and farmlands will leave the nation with an environmental and economic disaster that future generations will be forced to bear.

“The price Ghana will pay for this insincerity will be heavy. Our rivers are poisoned, our farmlands destroyed, and our future mortgaged. If leadership does not take this fight seriously, we may reach a point of no return,” he warned.

His remarks add to the growing concerns from civil society, traditional leaders, and environmentalists who insist that without bold, transparent, and uncompromising action from the highest levels of government, galamsey will continue to undermine Ghana’s development and destroy its natural heritage.