The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has called for strict punishment of public servants and political office holders found to be involved in illegal mining activities, insisting that only firm sanctions can serve as an effective deterrent against galamsey.

In an interview on Channel One TV on Wednesday, December 24, Mr. Iddrisu stressed that the judiciary must take a hard stance whenever public officials are linked to the illegal mining trade, noting that leniency would only embolden offenders.

“We need punitive action. I think that any public officer or political office holder associated with the menace of galamsey must be punished decisively. If the courts get the opportunity to get any public office holder engaged in galamsey, they should deal ruthlessly with that person so that it becomes a deterrent,” he said.

The Education Minister observed that recent enforcement measures appear to be yielding stronger outcomes, citing a rise in the number of excavators seized and suspects arrested in comparison to previous years.

According to him, the scale of seizures and arrests recorded so far exceeds what was seen under the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration, which he described as an indication of a more aggressive approach to tackling the problem.

Mr. Iddrisu maintained that sustained law enforcement, backed by decisive court rulings, is critical to defeating galamsey and protecting Ghana’s environment and natural resources for future generations.