The Co-ordinator of Eco-Conscious Citizens, Awula Serwah, has criticised the government’s decision not to sanction Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) implicated in the collection of levies from illegal mining (galamsey) operators, describing the development as unacceptable.

Her remarks come in response to the government’s position that the levy collections were part of a flawed institutional arrangement rather than individual wrongdoing and that affected officials would instead undergo training.

Responding to the decision communicated by Government Spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Ms Serwah expressed disbelief at claims that the affected officials were unaware of the implications of their actions.

She was speaking on Joy FM’s Top Story on Tuesday, March 31, following President John Mahama's reaction and government directive on JoyNews exposé titled "Tax for Galamsey”, which uncovered how some district assemblies were collecting fees from operators of changfang machines and other equipment widely associated with illegal mining activities.

“I am astonished that what we are saying is that the MCEs that we have appointed did not know that what they were doing was complicity in and encouraging illegal mining,” she said.

She argued that ignorance cannot be used as a defence, insisting that the actions of the officials directly enabled illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.

According to her, the positions of the implicated MMDCEs have become untenable, given the gravity of the environmental crisis confronting the country.

“We face an existential threat. The clock is ticking. We cannot make such excuses,” she stressed, warning that Ghana’s water bodies and ecosystems continue to suffer irreversible damage.

• Read also: TaxForGalamsey: Levies were institutional, not personal – Kwakye Ofosu explains lack of sanctions

Ms Serwah rejected the government's approach, describing it as a failure to demonstrate seriousness in the fight against illegal mining.

“Joy has put their lives on the line to do this exposé, and what we are saying is that we are going to train them because they didn’t know. If you've come to reset, then you know that there are things that are wrong, which should be put right," she said.

She further stated that the use of changfang machines has already been banned due to their destructive impact on water bodies, making any form of engagement with operators deeply troubling.

Her intervention adds to growing public pressure on authorities to take decisive action against officials found to be complicit in illegal mining activities, as calls intensify for stronger enforcement and accountability measures.