Illegal Mining Fight Not Strong Enough — Prof. Boadi Warns
UPSA academic urges tougher and more sustained action against galamsey environmental damage
- Prof. Boadi says government response lacks urgency
- Warns 50–70% of water bodies are polluted
- Calls for stronger, sustained action beyond rhetoric
The Dean of the Faculty of Accounting and Finance at the University of Professional Studies, Isaac Boadi, has criticised government efforts in the fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, describing them as insufficient and lacking the urgency needed to address the scale of the problem.
Prof. Boadi said the current approach to tackling illegal mining is not aggressive enough to deal with the severe environmental and economic damage being caused across the country.
He referenced findings presented by his institute at the Accra International Conference Centre, which highlighted widespread destruction of Ghana’s natural resources as a result of galamsey activities.
According to him, between 50 and 70 per cent of Ghana’s water bodies have been polluted, raising serious concerns about access to clean water and the rising cost of treatment by utility providers.
He noted that the Ghana Water Company Limited has already indicated increasing difficulty in treating contaminated water for public consumption due to illegal mining activities.
Prof. Boadi also pointed to comments by the President acknowledging that individuals within political and traditional leadership structures are implicated in galamsey, arguing that this underscores the complexity of the challenge.
He further criticised civil society organisations for what he described as a decline in advocacy compared to previous years, when they were more vocal in demanding stronger action from government.
While he dismissed calls for a state of emergency as a solution, he stressed the need for alternative and more effective strategies to combat the menace.
Prof. Boadi concluded that addressing galamsey requires deliberate, sustained, and visible enforcement measures to protect the country’s environment and natural resources.
