Mahama Ayariga warns MMDCEs over complicity in illegal mining

The Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mahama Ayariga, has issued a stern warning to Regional Ministers and Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), stating that those who ignore illegal mining in their jurisdictions are complicit in the environmental destruction. Speaking at a national conference on illegal small-scale mining in Kumasi, Ayariga emphasized that local authorities are best positioned to monitor these activities due to their proximity to affected communities. He rejected the notion that the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources should be solely responsible for tackling the crisis, calling instead for a collective and localized approach to enforcement.

The Minister of Environment, Science, and Technology, Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, echoed the urgency of the situation, highlighting that illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, has escalated into both a national security threat and a diplomatic crisis. She warned that the pollution of shared river systems, such as the Tano and Bia, is contaminating water supplies in neighboring C$te d'Ivoire, which could severely damage Ghana’s regional relations. Furthermore, Dr. Agyeman-Rawlings cautioned that proceeds from illicit mining are being linked to the financing of violent extremism in the Sahel region, urging local authorities to take proactive measures to safeguard environmental and national stability.

Complementing these calls for action, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, advocated for the immediate strengthening of district-level taskforces. He urged MMDCEs to lead land reclamation efforts in areas ravaged by mining and to collaborate more closely with the Environmental Protection Agency and security forces. Buah also extended the challenge to the academic community, urging geological engineering students at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) to use their technical expertise to develop innovative solutions for the environmental damage caused by illegal operations.

However, the President of the National House of Chiefs, Nana Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II, pointed to a deeper systemic challenge: the persistent politicization of the galamsey fight. He noted that members from both the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) are involved in the illegal mining industry, which frequently hinders effective enforcement. The traditional leader called on political leadership to move beyond partisan rhetoric and implement practical, non-partisan steps to resolve the crisis, insisting that true accountability must start with the local officials who allow these practices to persist in their districts.