Security expert, Major Dr Ebenezer Kwakye Agyemang, has called for a reframing of the national conversation around illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey.

Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile programme on Saturday, October 4, he warned that the scale and influence behind the practice far exceed the traditional image of small-scale "galamsey" operations.

His comments come in the wake of a high-level stakeholder engagement held at the Jubilee House on Friday, October 3, where President John Dramani Mahama met with major civil society organisations (CSOs) to discuss the persistent challenge of illegal mining and its environmental impact.

• Read also: Playback: President Mahama’s engagement with CSOs on galamsey

Major Dr Agyemang questioned the continued use of the term "galamsey", arguing that it masks the true scale and sophistication of what has become a deeply entrenched, well-funded, and politically sensitive operation.

“For me, as a country, we should not even call it galamsey,” he said. “Because of the involvement of people who have power, people who have money, people who can control decisions and indeed external influence which were not known in the galamsey space.”

He pointed to the widespread use of excavators, a symbol of large-scale and often illegal operations, as evidence that illegal mining is no longer dominated by artisanal workers but is instead being driven by powerful interests.

“For example, how many people can procure a single excavator? If you do the last count based on data available, at least more than 5,000 excavators are in Ghana,” he stated.

“And they are not on the roads, they are not in the registered mining companies but elsewhere working for people who are lining their pockets with proceeds from such activity.”

He stressed that this level of industrial-scale illegality highlights the depth of the challenge and demands a far more robust and honest national response.