Politicisation of the illegal small-scale mining (galamsey) issue, especially during elections and allegations of official corruption and political connections shielding illegal miners, a security expert, Col Festus Aboagye (Retired), has said.
He says that corruption within regulatory bodies and law enforcement agencies, including gross mismanagement of the small-scale mining sector and uncontrolled licencing regime, has undermined the effectiveness of government initiatives, eroding public trust in the government's ability to enforce laws. "Prof Frimpong Boateng's report (2023), for instance, alleged that many party officials at various levels had associates involved in illegal mining, often employing Chinese workers; appointees in the Jubilee House supported illegal mining; some MPs and government appointees allegedly sold mining concessions for personal gain; traditional authorities and local officials were complicit in allowing illegal mining; and that political interference and corruption undermined efforts to combat illegal mining. "The Fourth Estate (2024) also reported that several NPP politicians and officials had obtained mining licenses in forest reserves, exploiting the new L.I. 2462 (2022) that permits mining in previously protected areas, including the Oda River, Tano Nimiri and Subri River Forest Reserves.
This suggests the law was designed to benefit government associates with prior knowledge.
The Ghana Mining Repository showed 2093 active licences in 2023 (up from 56 between 2009-2016), plus 12,779 applications in processing, aside from an unknown number of illegal mining activities. "These reports highlight a significant lack of transparency, potential conflicts of interest, lack of political will, commitment, candour, and sometimes even complicity of officials and engaging in a contest of which political party polluted the most, significantly heightening the damage to Ghana's already threatened degraded environment and forest reserves," he said in an article.