The Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Sulemana Braimah, has stated that the fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, will not succeed through government initiatives alone.

He argued that despite the numerous policies and interventions introduced to curb the practice, these measures have failed to yield the desired results because they lack genuine national commitment.

According to him, it will take sincerity, honesty and collective responsibility from Ghanaians to end the menace.

"The shoot and kill, all of those things, we have moved from Operation Vanguard to Operation Halt to now NAIMOS, look the more we have these operations the more galamsey crises get worse, it is as if more operations lead to more galamsey and it is not going to work, what is going to work is been honest with ourselves, been sincere with ourselves and say enough is enough and all actors coming on board to say let us get off this thing at least once and for all," he said on JoyNews' AM Show on Wednesday, October 29.

He claimed that some government officials, particularly Members of Parliament, have admitted that they are unable to win the fight because those involved use their financial power to influence the system against them.

Mr Braimah further urged President John Dramani Mahama to engage traditional leaders and encourage them to actively support the national effort to combat illegal mining, stressing that their involvement remains critical to finding a sustainable solution.

"I think it is a very critical situation that we face and we will still appeal to His Excellency the president to engage with our chiefs," he advised.