Galamsey Crisis: Dr. Arthur Kennedy Calls for Action Against Influential Figures Behind Illegal Mining

Dr. Arthur Kennedy, a physician and political activist, has called for more decisive efforts in the fight against illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey in Ghana. He emphasized the need to target the powerful individuals who fund and control these operations, rather than focusing solely on the small-scale miners.

Speaking during an interview on JoyNews’ Newsfile, Dr. Kennedy criticized the government’s current approach to addressing the issue. He believes that the measures being taken are largely superficial, dealing with the visible aspects of illegal mining while ignoring the real influencers behind the scenes.

Dr. Kennedy pointed out that many of the miners, who use unauthorized machines like changfangs to mine in water bodies, are merely pawns in a larger scheme. He urged authorities to arrest and prosecute the key figures orchestrating these operations.

“Let’s find the big people who are funding them, and most of the big people are party elders, Members of Parliament, and others,” he stated.

He also questioned the political will of both the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to resolve the issue. According to Dr. Kennedy, even if the NDC were to come into power, the party might be tempted to continue tolerating galamsey for political reasons, perpetuating the problem across generations.

Dr. Kennedy concluded that resolving the galamsey crisis will require “extraordinary measures” beyond the government’s current tactics, which include deploying military forces to illegal mining sites. Despite actions such as the destruction of 18 mining machines, miners have reportedly returned to the same locations, underscoring the need for stronger enforcement and dismantling the larger networks driving the illegal mining operations.