The 2024 presidential candidate of the Progressive Alliance of Ghana (PAG), Dr John Kpikpi, says the long-running galamsey crisis is rooted in decades of poor resource stewardship.

He said it is the systematic exclusion of local people from the nation’s mineral wealth.

Speaking on Metro TV’s Good Afternoon Ghana, Dr Kpikpi said galamsey did not start as a destructive activity but grew out of a sense of deprivation in mining communities.

He argued that residents in areas like Obuasi watched multinational companies extract billions of dollars in gold while locals saw little benefit.

According to him, the lack of fair access created frustration and pushed many into illegal mining.

He believes the crisis would not have taken hold if Ghana had structured its mining sector from the outset to benefit both local communities and the wider population.

“Galamsey got a bad name now, but in the beginning, it was not a bad thing; it was artisanal mining, people trying to get some gold from the ground.

"The problems that have developed around galamsey must be traced to the disenfranchisement of Ghanaians from the minerals.

"People grow up in Obuasi and see companies take all the gold money away year after year, and they themselves get nothing,” he said.

Dr Kpikpi added that the only lasting solution is to restructure ownership so that citizens benefit directly from Ghana’s natural resources.

He also praised the government’s Gold Board (Goldbod) initiative, describing it as clear proof that the country can manage its mineral resources effectively when it takes direct responsibility.

He said Goldbod’s success in improving revenue flows and helping stabilise the cedi demonstrates the impact of national ownership.

“I think it was an excellent move, that is what has helped us to change our relationship between the Ghana cedi and the US dollar, and that is only a small part of the gold resource taken over and already producing so much impact instantly.

"Imagine what it will be like if 100% of it is taken charge of — what can we not do with this?” he stated.

Dr. Kpikpi urged government to extend the Goldbod model to oil, diamonds and all other mineral resources, insisting that such a shift would maximise national wealth and reduce the incentive for illegal mining.