Finance and Economic Policy Analyst, Senyo Hosi, has questioned the government’s sincerity in tackling illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, arguing that the administration is merely pretending to fight the menace rather than taking real action.
Speaking on The Big Issue on Saturday, October 18, 2025, Mr. Hosi said the deteriorating state of the country’s water bodies and forest reserves was clear evidence that the government’s anti-galamsey campaign was inconsistent and ineffective.
“Are we fighting or pretending to be fighting? There are two different things. If we are really fighting, then we should be winning, so if we are winning, we should see improvement in our water bodies.
“I am not seeing improvement in some water bodies… so what is happening? Are we just selecting, picking, and choosing?” he asked.
Mr. Hosi cited the alarming turbidity levels of some rivers as proof that the problem has worsened under the current administration. He noted that the Mahama-led government must act decisively, given that President Akufo-Addo faced severe public criticism when similar issues arose during his tenure.
“If Kwanyako could get to almost 95,000 turbidity when too long we were screaming and shouting Akufo-Addo for 14,000, what should we be doing right now?” he added.
He also expressed disappointment in the government’s failure to identify and prosecute the real financiers behind galamsey operations — the so-called “kingpins” who fund and equip illegal miners.
“The President said something which was very fundamental. He talked about the kingpins because the boys there can’t go and buy their own excavators. So where are the kingpins after ten months? If you have caught 1,400 people and you have not been able to interview them well enough to find the kingpins, then there is a big problem in this system,” he stated.
