The Institute for Economic Research and Public Policy (IERPP) has warned that Ghana’s natural resources are facing what it describes as a “systematic siege", citing weak enforcement, opaque mining arrangements, and persistent illegal mining activities.

At a press briefing on Monday, April 20, the Institute’s Executive Director, Professor Isaac Boadi, raised specific concerns about the Damang mining operations, questioning the transparency surrounding recent developments in the asset’s management.

He said, "The hurried way the entire acquisition process went through has so much to be desired.”

Professor Boadi further questioned the level of public oversight and institutional accountability in the process. “Surprisingly, civil society organisations have gone completely quiet about it,” he noted.

He warned that Ghana’s resource governance system is increasingly vulnerable to exploitation if transparency is not strengthened.

“Ghana’s natural resources are under systematic siege. The evidence is documented, the perpetrators are named, and the financial and environmental damage is quantified,” he stated.

The IERPP also criticised government efforts to combat illegal mining (galamsey) and illegal logging, describing them as insufficient to address the scale of environmental destruction.

According to the think tank, illegal mining continues to contribute to significant annual revenue losses and widespread environmental degradation, including polluted water bodies and deforestation.

Professor Boadi argued that weak enforcement and limited civic pressure have worsened the situation. He added that the lack of strong public engagement has created a governance gap.

“The deafening silence from political actors and the muted response of major citizens… represent a governance failure of historic proportion,” he warned.

The Institute is calling for stronger transparency in mining deals, improved regulatory enforcement, and more active civil society participation in resource governance.