The President of the National House of Chiefs, Ogyeahohoo Yaw Gyebi II, has called for the naming and shaming of all chiefs and political actors complicit in illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, as Ghana continues to battle the devastating effects of the practice.

The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah on May 10, 2025, disclosed that 44 forest reserves out of Ghana’s 288 had been degraded, and that over 5,252 hectares had been lost to illegal mining despite continued government efforts and assurances to eradicate the menace.

With recent attacks targeting the Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Development Fund, Dr. Hanna Bissiw, it has reignited public frustration over the credibility and effectiveness of the anti-galamsey campaign.

Civil society groups have since intensified calls for a total ban on mining in forest reserves and the repeal of Legislative Instrument 2462, which they argue weakens environmental protections.

Addressing the issue, Ogyeahohoo Yaw Gyebi lamented that political interference and selective enforcement have severely undermined national efforts to halt illegal mining.

“If we are serious about ending galamsey, we must name and shame every individual involved whether a chief or a politician. There should be no sacred cows,” he stressed.