The Christian Council of Ghana (CCG) has urged the government to deploy more military and police forces to curb the illegal mining scourge known locally as galamsey. Rev. Enoch Nii Narh Thompson, Chairman of the CCG and Executive President of the Ghana Baptist Convention, said the fight against galamsey must go beyond public education and include firm action by law‑enforcement agencies.
Speaking to the media, Rev. Thompson described galamsey as an environmental and public‑health threat that requires the Church’s active involvement. “If the water bodies that the people drink from are polluted, and the soil is poisoned, it is a business of the Church,” he said.
The council has engaged the government on the issue on several occasions, including meetings with former President John Dramani Mahama. Rev. Thompson called on policymakers and law‑enforcement agencies to intensify efforts to curb illegal mining, demanding increased deployment of the military, police and specialised agencies, as well as more personnel to support enforcement operations.
He added that dialogue with communities must be matched with enforcement of existing laws to bring illegal mining to an end. “Whilst we talk with people, we must also enforce the laws so that the menace could be brought to an end,” he said.
As the CCG pushes for stronger action, the government faces pressure to allocate additional resources to protect Ghana’s water bodies and farmlands from further destruction.
