A fellow at the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Professor John Osae Kwapong, has cautioned Members of Parliament to remain within their legislative roles and avoid interfering in law enforcement operations, particularly in the ongoing fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.

According to a metrotvonline.com report on November 10, 2025, Professor Osae Kwapong questioned why there should even be a debate about the role of MPs in such matters, noting that decades of democratic governance should have made this clear.

“I mean, should we even be having this conversation in terms of what the role of the MP should be and so on? Having done this for more than 30-something years? We shouldn’t,” he stated.

He emphasised that MPs are lawmakers, not law enforcers, and must not overstep their boundaries when state agencies tasked with enforcing the law are carrying out their duties.

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“So even if you get a call that says, ‘Hey, go and see what is happening there,’ and you get there and there’s a designated entity responsible for looking into these galamsey activities, they’ve been empowered by the state to check this, and they’ve been granted certain powers that allow them to arrest people,” he explained.

According to Professor Osae Kwapong, the proper approach for an MP in such situations is to make a brief inquiry and then allow the appropriate authorities, such as the National Anti-Illegal Mining Task Force Secretariat (NAIMOS) and the police, to continue their work.

“If the world were perfect, the only thing you would then do is, ‘Oh, okay, I got a call that said I should come and look into what’s going on. I understand what you’re doing, and okay, fine. Let the police do their work,’” he said.

However, referencing a recent report by journalist Erastus Asare Donkor, Professor Osae Kwapong suggested that some MPs might have done more than just inquire at galamsey sites.

“The facts as reported appear to suggest that you did more than just inquire about what is going on. At least from what I read, it appears as though this was a direct interference with the work of NAIMOS and direct interference with law enforcement, including inciting violence,” he said.

He warned that such actions, if true, would constitute a “travesty of justice” and could send the wrong message to both citizens and illegal miners.

“I just hope that a lawmaker did not incite violence, did not get the youth to do what they did as the videos were showing. Because for me, then that would be a travesty of justice. The last thing you want is this fight against galamsey being undermined and for the face of that to be a certain Member of Parliament,” Professor Osae Kwapong stated.

He added that public officials interfering in law enforcement can generate disillusionment among citizens and embolden those engaged in illegal activities.

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“What it does is, one, it generates a certain amount of despair among citizens that, well, then nothing would ever become of this fight. But the other thing it also does is that it emboldens those who engage in that activity if they think that they have the backing of none other than a certain Member of Parliament,” he explained.

Professor Osae Kwapong stressed that consistency and integrity are essential in the fight against galamsey, cautioning that political or personal bias could undermine years of progress.

“At the end of the day, lawmakers must allow the law to work,” he concluded.

MRA/MA

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