Former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo has called on the government to impose a moratorium on all forms of mining in Ghana, citing the severe destruction of the country’s water bodies and environment caused by illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s The Point of View on Wednesday, November 5, with Bernard Avle, Justice Akuffo said the menace of illegal mining has persisted for too long due to political interference and public complacency.
“Galamsey didn’t become intractable in 2025; it became intractable long ago. And we have been playing games around it, dancing around it, and now it has become a political issue,” she said. “It has grown so many thieves that it is killing and poisoning everybody.”
She urged communities affected by illegal mining to rise up and take a stand against the pollution of rivers, farmlands, and food crops through irresponsible exploitation of natural resources.
“It’s about time Ghanaians woke up and stopped being childish. We cannot continue to pollute our waters and our lands. A gift from God, we have used it to poison ourselves — that is wrong,” she said. “I believe there should be a moratorium on every form of mining, whether legal or illegal, small-scale or galamsey, until we sort ourselves out. This quest to mine our resources has gone out of hand. Let’s call for a pause.”
Her comments come in the wake of a violent attack on the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) at Hwidiem in the Ahafo Region on Saturday, November 1, 2025.
According to police reports, the NAIMOS team was attacked by a mob after intercepting illegal miners operating near Bronikrom. The team had arrested several suspects and retrieved a Smith & Wesson pistol, ammunition, unregistered vehicles, and mobile phones before the assault occurred.
The statement added that the Member of Parliament for Asutifi North, Ebenezer Kwaku Addo, allegedly arrived at the scene with a group and demanded the release of the arrested individuals.
Justice Akuffo’s call adds to growing public pressure on the government to take decisive and depoliticised action against illegal mining, which continues to threaten Ghana’s water security and ecosystem.
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