In a fervent and unyielding call for decisive action, the Coalition Against Illegal Mining (CAIM) has issued a stern warning to the government, asserting that the rampant illegal mining, locally known as ‘Galamsey,’ has escalated into a direct threat to national security and democratic stability.
Speaking at a recent media press conference, Ing. Dr. Ken Ashigbey, Lead Convener for the group, articulated a series of urgent demands, including the declaration of a state of emergency in critical mining zones and the immediate prosecution of all politically exposed persons implicated in the destructive trade.
“The recent near-fatal attack on Dr Hannah Louisa Bissue following an illegal mining raid at Bui Subensu, as reported widely in the media on June 5, 2025, is not an isolated incident. It is a symptom of the lawlessness epidemic within the mining zones; Gun-wielding gangs now operate with terrifying boldness.”
Ing. Dr Ken Ashigbey, Lead Convener, Coalition Against Illegal Mining
This alarming trend, he argued, provides irrefutable justification for the coalition’s long-standing demand for a state of emergency in affected areas.
Such a declaration, he explained, would empower security forces with enhanced capabilities, including increased military presence, extensive drone surveillance, and immediate asset freezes, effectively enabling them to “nip this emerging national security threat in the bud”.
The repercussions of inaction, he stressed, would be dire, emphasising the potential tragic outcome of the attack on Dr. Hannah Bissue and the shocking accusation by her that the machination was “perpetuated by the police commander.”
The coalition further demanded swift and transparent justice for the implicated police commander. “We really ask that the police commander be interdicted and investigated and punished,” Dr. Ashigbey asserted.
“When these punishments are done, the police should not just hide them under their police. They should let everybody know. So that the police would know that if they do wrong, they also would be punished.”
Ing. Dr Ken Ashigbey, Lead Convener, Coalition Against Illegal Mining
This call for public accountability within the security services aims to restore public trust and send a clear message that no one is above the law, regardless of their position.
Prosecution of Politically Exposed Persons
Building on the theme of accountability, the Coalition reiterated its demand for the prosecution of all politically exposed persons (PEPs) engaged in illegal mining.
Dr. Ashigbey commended the government’s recent move to arrest Mr. Bernard Antwi Bosiako, a director of Akonta Mining Limited, following widespread media coverage of CAIM’s previous press release that suggested his involvement in illegal mining.
However, he stressed that this initial step must be rigorously completed: “It is crucial to complete this process by arresting and prosecuting all directors of Akonta Mining Limited.”
He revealed that the coalition’s checks confirmed the company has two directors, who are also the same beneficial owners, demanding that those two directors should not only be arrested but also prosecuted.
A significant part of Dr. Ashigbey’s critique focused on what he termed “unacceptable hypocrisy” within the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).
While acknowledging that the NDC leadership under His Excellency, President Mahama, publicly condemned illegal mining, and commending positive actions by the Honourable Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, and the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Christian Yohonu, he condemned the “alarming pattern of some officials from the ruling NDC being involved in illegal mining.”
He cited the unresolved case of Honourable Oscar Labi, MP for Aowin, which the coalition had already petitioned President Mahama. Furthermore, he revealed “new reports implicate the NDC constituency chairpersons in Axim and Dunkwa in being deeply involved in Galamsey operations.”
According to him, this internal contradiction, where national leaders condemn while local party officials allegedly profit, undermines public trust and impedes genuine progress.
Key Proposals
To address this deep-seated issue, Ing. Ken Ashibey put forth concrete demands. Firstly, he called for immediate investigations into the case of Hon. Oscar Labi, MP for Aowin and the chiefs who have accused him, whom he has counter-accused, along with the two NDC constituency chairpersons of Axim and Dunkwa.
These investigations, to be conducted by the police and national security, he insisted, must ensure “complete transparency and no room for political protection.” Secondly, the coalition demanded “public disciplinary action by the NDC if any of these allegations are proven against the two party officials.
Thirdly, the coalition insisted on comprehensive investigations of all individuals mentioned in Professor Frimpong Boateng’s reports, emphasising there are “a lot of politically exposed persons who have been mentioned in that report”.
Finally, they demanded “transparent prosecution with no political protection.” Dr. Ashigbey referenced President Mahama’s public pledge not to cover anyone and the Lands Minister’s assurance against “order from above” interference, urging that these promises “be translated into action.”
He reminded the media of numerous implicated officials, including those from the former government, and highlighted cases like “Heritage Imperialists who were giving either prospecting leases, and they went into one of the forest reserves with over 30 excavators.”
Reiterating President Mahama’s Promise
Dr. Ashigbey underscored President Mahama’s October 2024 Kempinski statement that tackling Galamsey is not about the “young boys who we find in the pit, but the powerful financiers and beneficiaries.” The coalition called on the President to “deal with the politically exposed persons, who are involved in Galamsey.”
He proposed that Ghana’s intelligence community should “trace the money, where the funds are coming from, all the excavators that have been purchased“.
“Who are those who bought those excavators? Who are the people who rented them out? If our intelligence community will just look at who has also come to seek bail for these people when the boys are arrested, if we look at that, we will be able to trace those people who are behind this to make sure that they are dealt with.”
Ing. Dr Ken Ashigbey, Lead Convener, Coalition Against Illegal Mining
He cited an alarming situation in the Ahafo area where illegal miners, having spent “$5,000,000 buying new excavators and bulldozers,” are encroaching on a firm that has been prospecting for over ten years, unequivocally stating, “You won’t tell me that is small-scale mining.”
The true scale of the financial haemorrhage from Galamsey was starkly illustrated by a recent Reuters report, which indicated that Ghana has lost ” $11,400,000,000 from illegal gold trade” in the past five years alone.
“Do you know what that would have done for this country? So we cannot allow some of these people to benefit from their connections to power and continue to rape our country, continue to pillage our environment; increase the cost of our medical treatment; cause all these spontaneous abortions that are happening amongst women; pollutes all our rivers and sentence all of us to extinction and allow that to happen. That has to stop, and for that to stop, there should be repercussions for that.”
Ing. Dr Ken Ashigbey, Lead Convener, Coalition Against Illegal Mining
DCEs KPIs and Accoutability
Beyond political figures, the coalition also demanded accountability from security services and local government officials. Dr. Ashigbey recalled an unfulfilled promise of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for District Chief Executives (DCEs).
He insisted that every regional police commander, divisional police commander, district police commander in the areas where Galamsey are dominant are given a KPI that says that there will be no Galamsey in their community.
He warned that if Galamsey persists in their communities, it indicates either incompetence and hence they cannot be a representative of the president, or the IGP, or “they would be complicit in it, which in both cases, they are not worthy representatives, and the axe should fall on them”.
In conclusion, Dr. Ashigbey reiterated the coalition’s major call on the government to intensify its efforts in combating Galamsey and refrain from justifying it on the grounds of unemployment and revenue generation.
He dismissed any excuses for failure, asserting, “There’s no reason why we are failing at this.” He elevated the crisis beyond mere environmental degradation, framing it as a fundamental issue of “citizens’ trust in the government, national survival, leadership, and the security of our nation.”
“Whether the government would honour its word or it will betray the very citizens it’s sworn to protect, it is about protecting our water bodies, forest reserves, not just for our survival, but also for our children and their children’s children. The weight of this responsibility cannot be overstated.”
Ing. Dr Ken Ashigbey, Lead Convener, Coalition Against Illegal Mining
He concluded with a critical call to action: “God save our homeland, Ghana. But he would do it through you, me and the leaders that have been chosen.”
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