President of policy think tank IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, has urged John Dramani Mahama to move beyond rhetoric and take decisive action to tackle illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.

His comments come amid growing concerns over the environmental devastation caused by illegal mining across the country.

A recent report by the Forestry Commission of Ghana revealed that more than 9,000 hectares of forest have been destroyed by galamsey activities, highlighting the scale of deforestation within Ghana’s forest reserves.

The findings have renewed calls for stronger and more coordinated measures to halt the destruction of the country’s natural resources.

Although some initiatives have been introduced in recent years, critics argue that enforcement has not been strong enough to dismantle the networks driving the illegal trade.

Speaking on Channel One TV on Saturday, 7 March, Mr Cudjoe acknowledged that the National Inter-Ministerial Committee on Small-Scale Mining (NAIMOS) had made some progress.

However, he maintained that meaningful results would remain elusive if authorities fail to target the financiers and powerful actors believed to be behind the operations.

According to him, addressing the problem requires strong political will at the highest level.

“Mr President, enough of the talk. The honeymoon is over. Get to work. Get the galamseyers, let’s deal with them and let’s find some refined water,” he said, stressing that decisive action is needed to protect Ghana’s environment and water bodies.