Daasebre Dr. Asumadu Appiah, the Chief of Akyem Wenchi in the Eastern Region, has expressed skepticism about the possibility of effectively combating illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, in his area.

During a visit by the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) flagbearer, Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia, Daasebre Dr. Asumadu Appiah explained that the lack of employment opportunities in the community makes it extremely difficult to eliminate galamsey, which has been devastating Ghana’s vegetation and water bodies.

“As for the galamsey, it is not something we can stop if you tell us to stop,” the chief remarked, highlighting the challenges faced by the community.

The government has declared war on illegal mining activities through initiatives like Operation Halt and Operation Galamstop in recent years. However, the practice continues to persist across major mining areas in the country.

Daasebre Dr. Asumadu Appiah emphasized to Vice President Bawumia that without alternative livelihoods for mining communities, stopping the practice would be challenging. “We don’t have any job opportunities within our community; the only job here is galamsey. As for the galamsey, it is not something we can stop if you tell us to stop. So all we are asking is that you give us good policies and guidelines to do it.”

He also mentioned that he has applied for community mining initiatives, reflecting the need for structured approaches to small-scale mining. Additionally, the chief called for greater involvement of traditional leaders in the exploration of precious minerals in the country.

In response, Dr. Bawumia pledged to strengthen the licensing regime if elected president in the upcoming December elections, aiming to ensure sustainable mining practices. “I think we haven’t gotten it right. For me, I think we should help small-scale mining, and if we can do it well, Ghana will also do well. We need a licensing regime to make it easy so that people can acquire the license to work,” Dr. Bawumia stated.