The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Ahanta West, Ing. Ebenezer Aidoo, says his administration is intensifying surveillance and deepening collaboration with security agencies to clamp down on illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.

Speaking on Joy News’ AM Show on Wednesday, February 11, Ing. Aidoo stressed that the fight against galamsey must be seen as a national responsibility rather than a partisan contest.

“The situation with galamsey is a collective one. We must not see galamsey as a one-government business or an NPP or an NDC business. If we do that, collectively we will fail as a nation,” he said.

He argued that the current administration has demonstrated stronger resolve in tackling the menace over the past year, suggesting that earlier decisive action could have prevented the current scale of destruction.

“From the way we are going, if you look at the zeal and how my government within the last one year has been able to fight galamsey, if the previous administration had done that, I don't think that we would have been where we are. When we came, it was a free-for-all, you know, right from 2020, 2021, all the way to 2024; it was a free-for-all. People were mining everywhere, and they could mine and mine even in rivers.

Ing. Aidoo, a mining engineer by profession, underscored his personal involvement in field operations, noting that he does not confine himself to office duties.

“Almost every time I make sure that I am on the field, I have intelligence on the field where people are mining, collaborate with NAIMOS, and make sure that we give them information, certain areas that we cannot go to ourselves. They are there. And I'm not saying that we are 100 percent, but at least,” he explained.

He revealed that renewed surveillance has become necessary, as illegal miners often return to sites once enforcement efforts wane.

“That is what we are doing. It's not easy. Just like I said, it's not 100 percent. But we are really making sure that we take these guys off,” he added.

The MCE also cited a recent joint operation involving the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) along the Ahanta West–Mpohor boundary as evidence of the intensified crackdown.

“We had intelligence, we told NAIMOS, and then they did a fantastic job retrieving almost seven pump-action guns. Seizing those carbines. And we want to make sure that we put the surveillance there and then keep up with the work that we are doing,” he disclosed.