Economic policy analyst, Senyo Hosi, has slammed President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s handling of the galamsey crisis, labeling it a “charade” and a “disgrace” to his presidency.
Hosi’s remarks reflect a growing concern in Ghana over the administration’s perceived lack of genuine commitment to addressing the illegal mining problem.
He pointed to the government’s insufficient political will to confront the powerful interests driving galamsey, arguing that leadership across the political spectrum has failed to safeguard Ghana’s future. Instead, politicians appear more focused on personal and short-term benefits than on sustainable, long-term solutions.
Mr. Hosi delivered a damning critique of the government’s approach to solving the issue of galamsey on NorvanReports’ Economic Governance Platform (EGP) X Space Discussion on the topic, ”Policy Failures and Institutional Weaknesses: A Critical Analysis of Ghana’s #StopGalamseyNow Efforts” on Sunday.
“Our leaders have failed us. They have abandoned us,” he remarked, painting a bleak picture of a political class that prioritizes vacations and overseas education for their children while ignoring the environmental degradation in their homeland.
Ghana’s battle against illegal mining, or “galamsey,” remains one of the country’s most pressing environmental and economic crises. Despite repeated government interventions and public assurances, the practice continues to devastate the nation’s waterways, farmlands, and communities.
At the heart of the debate is the perceived failure of President Nana Akufo-Addo’s administration to enforce its stated goal of eliminating illegal mining.
The depth of the galamsey problem is not just environmental but institutional. According to Mr Hosi, the entire governance structure, from the military to civil service, has been compromised by illegal mining. Galamsey has infiltrated every layer of society, including fuel suppliers, farmers, and local economies dependent on the trade.
The result is a pervasive moral decline that, in Mr Hosi’s words, threatens to turn Ghana into a “banana republic” or a failed state akin to El Salvador’s and Colombia’s past struggles with criminal gangs.
Despite the government’s efforts including deploying soldiers to clear illegal mining sites, Mr Hosi believes these actions are insufficient. In his view, the administration’s deployment of 100 soldiers—barely enough to cover one region, let alone the entire country—is symbolic of the piecemeal approach to a problem that requires robust and systemic action.
“If indeed President Akufo-Addo wanted to fix this issue, it wouldn’t take him two weeks to do that,” he quipped.
Furthermore, the illegal mining industry, he noted, operates through a complex supply chain that extends beyond the miners themselves. Fuel suppliers, equipment providers, and chemical suppliers all play a role in facilitating the operations.
However, government efforts have so far failed to address these key components, which would require coordinated bans on the sale of fuel to illegal miners and more stringent controls on the import and use of mining equipment like excavators.
The political implications of tackling galamsey are also significant. Mr Hosi pointed out that key figures behind the illegal mining operations are often well-connected party members, creating a conflict of interest for the government.
Despite the president’s previous assertion that he was willing to put his presidency on the line to combat galamsey, Mr Hosi believes that political considerations have stymied any real action.
Beyond government failure, Mr Hosi also lamented the docility of Ghana’s middle class, asserting that while civil society organizations and journalists have worked tirelessly to expose the damage caused by illegal mining, he believes that the broader public has not done enough to push for change.
In his view, meaningful progress can only be achieved through a groundswell of public protests and action, with citizens demanding more from their leaders.
At the core of Mr Hosi’s critique is a call for greater collective responsibility. He emphasized that every Ghanaian has a role to play in holding the government accountable and fighting for the country’s future. The fight against galamsey, he argued, is not just about environmental preservation but about safeguarding the sustainable development of Ghana for future generations.