Godwin Ako Gunn, who is vying for the National Democratic Congress’ National Communications Officer post, told Eyewitness News on Friday that tackling illegal small‑scale mining—known locally as galamsey—has proven far more difficult than the party expected once it took office.
He said the scale of illicit mining and the environmental damage it causes have revealed the complexity of the issue since the NDC assumed power. “Let me admit, that is the most difficult [thing]. I’m admitting it so that you don’t come back to tell me that [did] what you say in opposition,” he said.
Initially, the party believed that preventing its members from partaking in illegal mining would significantly curb the problem, but the reality is that the practice is deeply rooted. “Then we realised that the thing was bigger than political involvement,” Ako Gunn explained. He highlighted discoveries of settlements and extensive mining activity within forest reserves, noting that some operations are hard to detect because they blend into the environment. “Look at the discovery that we made in some of the forests. It’s a whole town in the middle of a forest. If they even didn’t muddy the water, nobody could have even noticed it,” he added.
Despite acknowledging the challenge, Ako Gunn stressed the government’s commitment to ending illegal mining, while noting that the fight requires more than political will. He suggested that properly regulated community mining could help, proposing designated areas and community involvement to manage the activity. “If it is properly regularised, I don’t think that we are going to have some of these award miners and all that. When it is properly organised, involving our communities and all that, sometimes how do people get land? It’s the community people,” he said.
The NDC will need to rethink its strategy as the galamsey problem continues to grow, with stakeholders calling for stronger enforcement and community‑led solutions to protect Ghana’s forests and waterways.
