Former Minister for Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, has called for a national consensus to achieve lasting and sustainable mining in Ghana.

He argued that the ongoing galamsey crisis persists not because the country lacks strong laws, but due to weak enforcement systems, local-level complicity, and political interference.

Speaking at the 20th Annual Kronti ne Akwamu Democracy and Governance Public Lecture, themed “Galamsey: A Country in Search of Solutions in Plain Sight,” Professor Frimpong-Boateng said Ghana continues to overlook significant economic opportunities within its forests while focusing narrowly on gold.

“For me, as a doctor and as a scientist, when I hear that because of eight or ten billion dollars the environment has to be destroyed, it’s a pity. The trees are the most prominent things in the forest or farmlands, but there are things even more important than the trees. There are so many resources in our forests that can give us more money than gold,” he said.

Professor Frimpong-Boateng further stressed the need for a national dialogue on proper, sustainable mining in the country.

“But if gold must be mined, it should be done sustainably and with respect for the environment. There should be a national consensus. It’s a very complex issue, so people need to sit down and come up with suggestions and solutions—solutions that may be unpalatable, but we must implement them,” he noted.

Despite the arrest of 1,190 illegal miners since 2023, only 35 prosecutions have been successful. According to Professor Frimpong-Boateng, this weak enforcement record highlights internal betrayal, a lack of political will, and institutional systems that protect perpetrators instead of safeguarding affected communities.

The Kronti ne Akwamu Lecture is CDD-Ghana’s flagship annual platform on democracy and governance, aimed at bridging the gap between reflection, research, analysis, and pro-democracy advocacy.

Source: Citi Newsroom