The galamsey fight has become a heated point of political contention as Prof. Ransford Gyampo, CEO of the Ghana Shippers Authority (GSA), strongly criticized the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) for what he described as a hypocritical attempt to lead the campaign against illegal mining.
Speaking passionately on the issue, Prof. Gyampo accused the NPP of fueling the illegal mining crisis during their eight-year tenure in government.
According to him, the party issued over 2,000 mining licenses within that period — a figure he described as unprecedented in Ghana’s mining history.
“For the past eight years, they have fuelled this menace. They actually passed laws to let people go mine in the forest, granted mining licenses at unprecedented levels to their cronies, and to empower them to destroy our lands and water bodies.”
Prof. Ransford Gyampo
Prof. Gyampo noted that these actions forced the current National Democratic Congress (NDC) government to embark on a comprehensive review and revocation of many of the licenses issued by the previous administration.
He challenged the NPP’s moral authority to position itself as a leading voice in the fight against galamsey, arguing that their past actions undermine any credibility to take such a stance. “With all due respect, they sound smarter when they are quiet.”
According to him, groups such as the Coalition Against Galamsey, UTAG, and the OneGhana Movement should be allowed to lead the public advocacy on the issue rather than political actors with questionable track records.
Govt’s Action On Galamsey Lauded
Prof. Gyampo praised the NDC government’s decisive measures to combat galamsey, pointing out that security forces have already been deployed to reclaim nine forest reserves.
“In stark contrast, the ruling NDC government has taken decisive action. The government has deployed the police to reclaim nine of our forest reserves and is repealing the evil law passed by the NPP that allowed people to mine in the forest.”
Prof. Ransford Gyampo
He also clarified that President Mahama’s mention of a state of emergency was misinterpreted.
The president had stated that such a measure would only be considered as a last resort if other strategies failed.
Prof. Gyampo challenged critics to read the NDC’s 2024 manifesto carefully before making misleading claims, noting that the document does not mention any plans to declare a state of emergency before the elections.
Calls For Radical Action Against Galamsey
While acknowledging the government’s ongoing efforts, Prof. Gyampo reaffirmed his personal belief that declaring a state of emergency is the most effective way to address the galamsey crisis, emphasizing the need to tackle the root cause rather than just managing its effects.
He stressed that while it is essential to acknowledge ongoing efforts, more radical measures are needed to stop the destruction of Ghana’s lands and water bodies. However, he cautioned that calls for such measures must not be driven by individuals or groups with partisan motives.
According to him, the same party now attempting to lead the galamsey fight once told labor unions they would not take decisive action because of fears of losing elections.
Some even claimed illegal mining had no health implications, placing political survival above national well-being.
Prof. Gyampo further accused the NPP of bribing union leaders to weaken their advocacy efforts and of sponsoring splinter groups within unions to disrupt collective pressure on the government to act decisively against galamsey.
“Indeed, we cannot allow the fight to be led by self-seeking cabals who, just yesterday, actually looked into the faces of labour union leaders and told them they won’t ever fight Galamsey for the fear of losing elections.”
Prof. Ransford Gyampo
Commitment To The Cause
Prof. Gyampo reaffirmed his unwavering commitment to eradicating galamsey, describing the menace as an existential threat to Ghana.
While his role as a government official limits his approach to working behind the scenes to shape policies, he vowed to continue pushing for stronger measures.
“My commitment to the fight against Galamsey and support for the advocacy is unwavering, given the existential threat the menace poses to me and to all. I fight to shape and influence policy first from within. I am sometimes successful, and other times I just need to keep pushing. And this I will continue to do, not for self but for Ghana, our Motherland,” he affirmed.
Prof. Ransford Gyampo
He concluded by urging civil society and other independent actors to take the lead in pushing for drastic interventions while warning political actors with tainted pasts to stay away from steering the national conversation on galamsey.
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