Former Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Inusah Fuseini, has described the community mining initiative introduced under the erstwhile Akufo-Addo government as an “escalated form of galamsey.”

Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, August 16, the former Tamale Central MP argued that the initiative, which was meant to provide an alternative to illegal mining, ended up worsening the problem.

According to Mr Fuseini, community mining only legitimised activities that mirrored the destructive methods of illegal miners.

“Community mining was an escalated form of galamsey,” he said, adding that instead of curbing the menace, the programme expanded access to unsafe and unregulated mining practices.

The Akufo-Addo government had introduced community mining as part of its efforts to fight galamsey, with the view of offering regulated small-scale mining opportunities to local communities.

However, critics like Mr Fuseini insist the policy lacked effective monitoring and regulation, which allowed environmentally harmful practices to continue under official cover.

His comments come in the wake of renewed debate on responsible mining following the tragic helicopter crash at Adansi Akrofoum on Wednesday, August 6, which claimed the lives of eight high-profile figures.

The incident has reignited scrutiny of Ghana’s mining policies, with calls for more sustainable approaches to safeguard the environment while ensuring livelihoods in mining communities.