Kweku Duah, organiser of the Small-Scale Miners Association, has accused state officials of enabling illegal mining operations in Ghana’s forest reserves and water bodies.
Speaking on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Wednesday (17 September), Duah insisted that small-scale miners are unfairly blamed for the destruction of rivers and forests, when in reality, powerful actors protect the large-scale illegal operators.
“Our forests and our water bodies are red zones. No one can get a legal concession there. So if you see people mining in the forest, it is from the government,” Duah alleged.
He said excavators and other heavy machinery cannot be moved into protected areas without “a strong hand backing them,” suggesting the complicity of forestry officials and political figures.
Duah argued that Ghana can only curb the menace if the President takes a firm stand by empowering forestry authorities to act decisively.
“Unless the President comes out strict and says if anyone is caught mining in the forest, I will sack the forestry official in charge, we cannot stop galamsey,” he stressed.
The miners’ organiser also complained that legal small-scale operators receive little support from government, despite contributing to Ghana’s gold output. Instead, he said, authorities often harass them while ignoring powerful illegal concessions.
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