Kay Codjoe, a volunteer associate at the IMANI Africa policy think tank, has delivered a strong message to the government, warning that galamsey cannot be eradicated unless the fight is expanded to include “landguardism“.
He argued that both are deeply entrenched illegal activities that thrive on fear, corruption, and political protection, posing a serious threat to Ghana’s stability and future.
According to Codjoe, the government’s current approach is incomplete because it tackles only one side of a much bigger problem.
He explained that while authorities claim to be clamping down on illegal mining, landguard activities remain largely unchecked, despite being clearly outlawed by the 2020 Land Act and the 2019 Vigilantism Act.
He pointed out that despite these legal provisions, there has been no meaningful enforcement. “No kingpin has been jailed, no cartel dismantled, and no public officer punished,” Codjoe stressed.
This lack of accountability, he said, undermines the state’s authority.
“If the same chiefs, politicians, and security officers who profit from galamsey also shield the landguard syndicates, then what moral authority does the state have to tell a farmer in Tarkwa not to mine when a widow in Kasoa cannot build without paying a landguard tax?”
Kay Codjoe
Codjoe stressed that landguards and galamsey are deeply interconnected, portraying them as two interconnected forces driving lawlessness.
He explained that these groups operate as organized criminal networks with significant influence, rather than being just random gangs.
According to him, landguards serve as enforcers who protect illegal mining sites and defend the destruction of the nation’s environment.
Linked Networks of Crime and Violence
Kay Codjoe further cautioned that cracking down on one group often fuels the growth of the other.
He explained that when illegal mining is disrupted, landguards turn to other forms of extortion, and when landguard activities are suppressed, many of the same individuals shift into illegal mining operations.
He described the two as inseparable, driven by violence and the profits of criminal enterprises.
Highlighting the violence associated with these groups, Codjoe recalled a disturbing incident last year when a landguard shot and killed a soldier in the Gomoa Fetteh–Nyanyano area.
The lack of updates on this case, he said, reflects the state’s failure to deal decisively with these criminal enterprises.
“These men do not disappear after nightfall. They walk freely, some flaunting their muscle at funerals and political rallies. We, the citizens, can roll call their names with ease. Do you mean to tell us the police cannot?”
Kay Codjoe
He further argued that landguards pose a significant threat beyond land disputes. According to him, they are also used as mercenaries during elections, engaging in acts of political violence and intimidation.
“They are the muscle that buys impunity, the rented chaos that silences democracy,” he warned. Codjoe stressed that this makes them not just a criminal problem but a national security threat.
He questioned how the nation could defend itself from external threats when it has already allowed internal criminal networks to seize control of its lands, warning that failing to confront this danger leaves the country vulnerable to outside aggressors.
Calls for True Leadership and Accountability On Galamsey
Kay Codjoe also alleged that influential figures within the government shield these criminal enterprises, undermining law enforcement efforts.
He stressed that landguardism and galamsey form the very foundation of impunity in the country, with laws rendered powerless and prosecutions existing only in theory due to this high-level protection.
He called on President Mahama to honor his pledge of a national reset, urging him to take bold action rather than merely offering slogans.
“Mr. President, you promised a reset. Reset is not about slogans. Reset means removing the parasites that have drained this Republic of dignity and sovereignty. Treat them as what they are: treasonous criminals who must pay for their crimes against humanity.”
Kay Codjoe
Codjoe emphasized that unless the government takes decisive action to prove that everyone is subject to the law, ordinary Ghanaians will remain vulnerable, with the nation’s land exploited by criminals and its people living as captives in their own country.
“If the Republic cannot jail landguards and galamsey lords, then the Republic itself stands accused. And when the state becomes complicit in crime, the citizen must rise as the last line of defense.”
Kay Codjoe
The fight against galamsey and landguardism, Codjoe concluded, requires more than policies or political rhetoric.
It demands decisive leadership, strict enforcement of existing laws, and the dismantling of powerful networks that operate with impunity. Without these actions, he warned, Ghana risks losing its sovereignty to criminals who thrive on fear and chaos.
READ ALSO: Tyler Perry’s Sexual Harassment Accuser Finally Speaks
