Efforts to combat galamsey, the illegal mining activity plaguing parts of Ghana, are finally bearing fruit, according to Dr. Hanna Louisa Bissiw-Kotei, Administrator of the Minerals Development Fund (MDF).
Her comments come in defense of the Fund’s direct involvement in anti-galamsey operations—a role some have criticized as beyond its legal mandate.
Speaking openly about the current efforts, Dr. Bissiw-Kotei pointed to significant strides made in Atiwa West, a community deeply impacted by illegal mining.
She noted that individuals operating on the ground had been apprehended, and the mastermind behind the operation had also surfaced.
Her comments signaled a clear shift in approach—indicating that the Minerals Development Fund is now taking an active role in confronting the devastation caused by galamsey, particularly when it threatens local communities.
Responding to growing criticism, Dr. Bissiw-Kotei challenged those questioning whether the MDF should be actively involved in the fight.
“When you start doing these things and you’re getting results, then you have some group of persons that somehow it affects—maybe directly or indirectly—and they will try and come up with all sorts of funny excuses. Oh, it’s not your mandate. Oh, it’s not this. As a Ghanaian, it’s my mandate. That is number one.”
Dr. Hanna Louisa Bissiw-Kotei
In making her case, Dr. Bissiw-Kotei drew a vivid comparison that struck a chord with many. She questioned why anyone would hesitate to stop a criminal simply because it’s not their official role, arguing that inaction in the face of wrongdoing is not an option.
Emphasizing the seriousness of the situation, she described encountering illegal miners whose actions resemble those of criminals and even terrorists.
Accordingly, Dr. Bissiw-Kotei highlighted the severity of the threat posed by illegal mining activities. “They are environmental terrorists. They’re terrorizing the communities that I’m supposed to serve.”
NDPC Mandates MDF’s Galamsey Fight
Dr. Hannah Bissiw-Kotei further underscored that her stance is not merely emotional—it is supported by institutional and legal frameworks.
She cited the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), which she said mandates the Fund to assist in preventing environmental degradation from mining and promote the socio-economic wellbeing of mining communities.
“When you say, ‘is it your mandate?’, I’m like, okay—is it my mandate to drink contaminated water? Is it the mandate of that innocent pregnant woman to have a malformed baby because somebody contaminated the water? Is it the mandate of that child at all at the time, who knows nothing but a gun, because people come and terrorize them with guns? Is it the mandate of that seven-year-old boy who fell into a pit dug in a community and died? Is it the mandate of that mother to have lost her son?”
Dr. Hanna Louisa Bissiw-Kotei
Dr. Bissiw-Kotei referenced Section 5 of the Fund’s legal framework to support the MDF’s involvement, which outlines its responsibility to address the negative impacts of mining on communities and to foster local economic growth.
From her perspective, the controversy isn’t about the Fund overstepping its role but rather about the unease felt by individuals who previously benefited from inaction.
She noted that although the Minerals Development Fund has existed since March 2016, it remained largely unnoticed until now.
Under her leadership as the second administrator, the Fund has been reenergized, its mandate revived, and its work actively pursued, and according to her, “those that it pinches are crying.”
The Administrator’s statements have stirred renewed debate over the role of public agencies in addressing environmental threats.
For years, the Minerals Development Fund remained relatively obscure. Today, under Dr. Bissiw-Kotei’s leadership, it is not only visible but active—and for many communities, that’s a welcome change.
Her fierce commitment underscores a broader truth about governance and accountability. While critics may raise legal and bureaucratic concerns, the destruction wrought by galamsey remains an urgent and visible threat.
And in places like Atiwa West, where contaminated water, collapsed pits, and armed encroachments are daily realities, her assertiveness might be exactly what’s needed.
With environmental degradation becoming a national crisis and galamsey continuing to scar the land and poison the water, the actions of the MDF—and its vocal Administrator—are sending a clear message: silence is no longer an option, and standing by is no longer acceptable.
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