The National Communication Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Sammy Gyamfi Esq. has expressed deep concern and frustration over the escalating issue of illegal mining, commonly known as “galamsey,” in Ghana.
Sammy Gyamfi highlighted the environmental, social, and economic devastation caused by illegal mining and criticized government officials for politicizing such a critical issue.
He stated that illegal mining, if not addressed, would pose an existential threat to the entire country. Sammy Gyamfi began his address with an emotional appeal, underscoring the gravity of the situation.
He described how the country is witnessing unprecedented environmental degradation, exacerbated by illegal mining activities.
“It is so sad, so sickening. I feel sick already. Just listening to Egyapa Mercer try to justify acts of impunity, acts of criminality, irresponsible acts that threaten our collective survival as a people.”
Sammy Gyamfi Esq. National Communication Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC)
Sammy Gyamfi pointed out that the issue at hand was not merely a political one but rather a national crisis that affected every Ghanaian, regardless of party affiliation.
“NPP, NDC, CPP, PPP, LPG, neutrals— all persons in Ghana face an existential threat as a result of the alarming levels of illegal mining across the length and breadth of Ghana.”
Sammy Gyamfi Esq. National Communication Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC)
Rivers, forests, and entire communities were suffering the consequences, and the country’s natural blessings were being turned into environmental ruins.
“Look at this beautiful land called Ghana. A land blessed by God and endowed with many resources. Look at the state of Ghana today—a blessed land that today lies in ruins, marked by coffin-like water bodies, hanging communities, depleted forest reserves, and droughts.”
Sammy Gyamfi Esq. National Communication Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC)
Galamsey: An Existential Threat, not a Political Game
Sammy Gyamfi continued by stressing the existential threat illegal mining posed to human life, urging Ghanaians to move away from politicizing the issue. He asserted; “You guys must wake up from your sleep. We are talking about human life… You don’t reduce it to NDC, NPP political football.”
He reminded listeners of the adage that when the last tree dies, so does the last man, and also emphasized that water is life.
The destruction of forest reserves and pollution of water bodies were not just threats to the environment but direct threats to life itself.
“Any group of people who decide, just for purposes of satisfying their insatiable greed and selfishness, to plunder our forest reserves and destroy our trees and natural resources… They are criminals. They are enemies of the state.”
Sammy Gyamfi Esq. National Communication Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC)
Gyamfi strongly criticized Egyapa Mercer’s attempt to equalize the discussion, urging him to focus on the broader human impact instead of downplaying the crisis.
The History and Evolution of Galamsey
Acknowledging that galamsey had been part of Ghana’s history for decades, Sammy Gyamfi clarified that the current level of destruction was unprecedented.
He traced the origin of the term “galamsey” to local miners gathering and selling gold, but emphasized that today’s problem far exceeds the traditional illegal mining that once occurred in the country.
“Galamsey simply means gather and sell. That is where the term ‘galamsey’ came from. And that galamsey which has been with us all these years had to do with a few locals in mining communities… What is happening today has never happened in the history of Ghana.”
Sammy Gyamfi Esq. National Communication Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC)
He challenged anyone to present evidence that the level of destruction being witnessed today had never occurred in the past.
He pointed out that what the nation now faces is an industrial-scale devastation that has turned rivers and forests into barren, lifeless zones.
Irresponsible Governance: The Root of the Problem
Sammy Gyamfi reserved his harshest criticism for the current administration, particularly President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.
He argued that illegal mining was now being condoned under the cover of legal frameworks introduced by the current government. He noted; “Under the NDC, forest reserves were red zones. You could not give a lease to anybody to go and mine or to even go and do exploration in a forest reserve for gold.”
According to Sammy Gyamfi, the new legal framework has given an undue advantage to the President.
“It is this irresponsible Akufo Addo-Bawumia government who, through LI 2463, has now introduced a clause in the LI that gives the president the unfettered discretion to grant a lease to an entity to do exploration or mining in a forest reserve. This is the first time we are seeing this.”
Sammy Gyamfi Esq. National Communication Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC)
Sammy Gyamfi called on Ghanaians to recognize the magnitude of the illegal mining crisis and to demand accountability from the government.
He urged the public to treat the issue as a matter of national survival, rather than as a partisan debate, to protect the country’s natural resources and ensure a livable environment for future generations.
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