John Mahama faces criticism over ineffective illegal mining interventions

Stakeholders including academics, investigative journalists, and opposition communicators have raised significant concerns regarding the effectiveness of President John Mahama’s administration in combating illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey. Despite the reported seizure of more than 150 excavators by the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), critics argue that the government is repeating the failed strategies of the previous Akufo-Addo administration. Environmental journalist Erastus Asare Donkor noted that while the current government appears more receptive to concerns, its actions do not yet align with its public commitments, leading to a cycle of ineffective interventions that fail to protect the environment.

Professor Godfred Bokpin, an economist at the University of Ghana, has called for a comprehensive national review of the government’s anti-galamsey efforts. He argued that the state remains complicit in the crisis due to political interference and a lack of leadership, which has allowed politically connected individuals to continue mining activities with impunity. Bokpin emphasized that after more than a year in office, the administration must be judged on environmental outcomes and target-setting rather than just the number of arrests or equipment seizures. Similarly, Prof. Kwadwo Appiagyei-Tuah of the University of Ghana School of Law cautioned that government claims of progress are not fully supported by credible data, calling for greater transparency to assess the true state of environmental degradation.

A central theme of the criticism involves the lack of accountability for local government officials. Investigative journalists and activists, including Awula Serwah of Eco-Conscious Citizens, are demanding that Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) be held directly responsible for illegal mining occurring within their jurisdictions. There are concerns that without strict monitoring and consequences for local authorities, any progress made by national task forces will be temporary. The Christian Council of Ghana also questioned the government’s consistency, pointing to conflicting public statements regarding unlicensed mining that undermine the national fight against the practice.

From a political perspective, the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has dismissed the government's approach as a failure. NPP Director of Communications Dennis Miracles Aboagye accused the administration of failing to fulfill its campaign promises and urged the President to stop referencing the tenure of former President Nana Akufo-Addo to justify current shortcomings. Meanwhile, Sulemana Braimah, Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), expressed disappointment in the slow pace of the government’s cooperative mining initiative, noting that only 11 groups have been established in two years. Stakeholders agree that a united, non-partisan approach is required to address the economic dependence on mining while ensuring the restoration of Ghana's polluted water bodies and forest reserves.