Daryl Bosu, Deputy National Director of A Rocha Ghana, has sharply criticized the government’s approach to tackling illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, stating that continued impunity is the result of weak law enforcement, not a lack of legal tools.
His remarks come in response to President John Dramani Mahama’s recent comments defending his administration’s decision not to declare a state of emergency to address the crisis. Speaking during a Presidential Media Encounter on Wednesday, September 10, President Mahama argued that existing laws are sufficient to combat the menace, and that a state of emergency should only be considered a “last resort.”
However, Daryl Bosu strongly disagreed. In an interview with Eno Safo, he said the situation on the ground paints a different picture.
“Nothing has changed; the impunity still exists. To that extent, there’s still a long way we have to go.”
He stressed that the problem is not the absence of legislation, but rather the failure to enforce existing laws.
“The biggest problem has been our own inability to ensure enforcement. The laws are there—some have even been reviewed—but to what extent are state agencies actually ensuring compliance?” he questioned.
Bosu accused the government of undermining the rule of law by routinely setting aside regulations and failing to hold violators accountable.
“We have the legal framework to deal with galamsey, but the government consistently weakens the law by choosing not to implement it. Enforcement has been very terrible, and that’s why impunity continues.”
His comments reflect growing public frustration over the environmental degradation and social consequences caused by illegal mining, particularly in regions where rivers, forests, and farmlands have been devastated.
