The Global Media Foundation, a human rights and media advocacy non-governmental organisation, has criticised the government, describing the nation’s efforts towards fighting illegal mining as indecisive.

As Ghana joins the globe to mark the 2026 World Environment Day (WED), the foundation regretted that despite the establishment of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), illegal mining popularly known as ‘galamsey’ continues to devastate farmlands, water bodies, as well as forest and vegetative cover.

In a statement issued and signed by Raphael Godlove Ahenu, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of GloMeF, to commemorate the Day, the organisation said the nation required a more aggressive and coordinated push towards tackling illegal mining and environmental crimes.

A copy of the statement made available to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani said: “The establishment of the NAIMOS is welcoming, however illegal miners continue operating openly in parts of the country, raising questions about the effectiveness of the secretariat.”

It noted that: “If the NAIMOS is unable to control illegal mining activities and protect the country’s natural resources, then the purpose for its establishment will be difficult to justify.”

The statement bemoaned that many water bodies which serve as a source of clean water have become heavily polluted, while large tracts of fertile lands have also been destroyed by galamsey.

It warned that the continued degradation of the environment threatens public health, food security, biodiversity, and the livelihoods of future generations.

The statement called on the government to demonstrate stronger political will by ensuring that all suspects arrested in connection with galamsey are prosecuted, regardless of their political affiliation or social status.

It also urged chiefs and queens, civil society organisations, religious leaders, and local communities to support efforts aimed at addressing illegal mining and protecting the environment.

The statement stressed that safeguarding the nation’s natural resources ought to be a collective responsibility, rather than the sole duty of government institutions.

As the world observed the 2026 WED on the theme: “Environmental protection and sustainability”, the statement called on all stakeholders to renew their commitment to preserving the nation’s depleted forests, river bodies, and ecosystem for present and future generations.

“The celebration of the WED shouldn’t only be a day for speeches but a reminder that the future of our country largely depends on the actions we take today to protect the environment from destruction,” it stated.

It urged the government to move beyond ‘rhetoric’ and implement concrete measures that would effectively address galamsey and restore degraded lands, water bodies, and depleted vegetative and forest cover.