Pressure group OccupyGhana has reignited its long-running campaign against illegal small-scale mining, commonly known as galamsey, this time directing
Pressure group OccupyGhana has reignited its long-running campaign against illegal small-scale mining, commonly known as galamsey, this time directing its appeal to President John Dramani Mahama.
The group says Ghana cannot afford to repeat the mistakes of the past administration under former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, which, in its view, failed woefully to halt the menace despite several promises.
In a letter dated September 29, 2025, the civil society organisation reminded President Mahama that it had, exactly three years ago, written a similar letter to then-President Akufo-Addo.
That correspondence, which condemned the government’s inability to end illegal mining, accused state officials and local authorities of either incompetence or complicity in the ongoing environmental degradation and water contamination across the country.
A Battle That Never Ended
OccupyGhana’s campaign against galamsey dates back to 2017 when then-President Akufo-Addo publicly pledged to end the illegal activity, famously declaring his willingness to risk his presidency on the fight.
However, eight years on, the group argues that little has changed.
The Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), provides a clear legal framework for regulating mining activities, and enforcement institutions such as the Minerals Commission and Environmental Protection Agency already exist.
Yet, OccupyGhana maintains that political will has been absent, leaving Ghana’s water bodies polluted, forests destroyed, and communities at risk.
In their initial campaign to the Akufo-Addo administration, the group wrote eight separate letters over eight weeks, demanding action and warning of dire consequences if government failed to act.
“We did not receive even an acknowledgment, and the government did next to nothing to address the issue,” the group stated in its latest communication.
A Call to Mahama
Now with John Mahama back in office after winning the 2024 elections, OccupyGhana says it is resubmitting its petition in the exact form it was originally sent to his predecessor.
The group insists that the new administration has an opportunity to show leadership where the previous one failed.
“This third anniversary of that letter provides us with another chance to demand immediate, impartial enforcement of the law. We will repeat this on the anniversary of each of the seven reminders we sent previously, until this issue is dealt with once and for all,” OccupyGhana declared.
Galamsey as a National Crisis
Illegal mining remains one of Ghana’s most pressing national crises, cutting across political administrations.
Both the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and National Democratic Congress (NDC) governments have pledged to tackle it, but environmental experts argue that partisan interests, corruption, and weak enforcement have allowed the problem to persist.
OccupyGhana’s renewed call to action sets the stage for fresh public debate and intensifies pressure on the Mahama administration to deliver concrete results.
The group has vowed to keep the issue alive in national discourse, with the aim of forcing government to finally enforce existing laws and safeguard the environment.
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