A security analyst, Nana Kweku Ofori-Atta has criticised the government for not “showing enough commitment” to ending the menace of illegal mining activities in the country.

According to him, the fight against the menace which has destroyed several acreages of arable lands and polluted almost all rivers and waterbodies across the country, required just the “political will” from the central government to stem it.

Speaking to The Chronicle, he posited that a strong political will by the government and full commitment were all that the government needed to show in order to clamp down all illegal mining activities.

He said, “So far, past and successive governments have scored higher marks with their rhetoric on how to end galamsey activities that are putting our lives in danger but what have been the outcome of such rhetorics?

“We must admit that we have gone past conferences and seminars on how to end the canker which is eating us all up now. We have the army, the navy and the marine police but we cannot fight illegal miners destroying our forest reserves and waterbodies? This is a shame.”

Ofori-Atta’s criticisms come in the wake of the decision of president John Dramani Mahama to engage religious bodies and Civil Society Organisaitons (CSOs) in a crunch meeting as part of efforts to find solutions to the menace.

He posited that the rate at which illegal mining activities kept polluting waterbodies demanded immediate and drastic action but not closed-door meetings with associations which did not have the power to fight the miners in the bushes.

“The president may have his own ideas on how to solve the menace but I can tell you that we have far gone beyond roundtable discussions to end galamsey in Ghana today.

“Should the president instruct the military high command to send troops to the forest and river banks to stop the galamsey boys, who can master courage to dare challenge this order?

“I want to repeat that this fight cannot be won with lip services, political blame games and empty promises.

"President must note that the good will he received from the masses is gradually wanning down due to his inability to tackle galamsey.”

The fight to end all forms of illegal mining activities across the country was a major campaign promise made by John Dramani Mahama as he toured the country ahead of the 2024 elections which he won.

However, the wonton destruction of forest reserves and pollution of waterbodies through activities of illegal mining commonly known as galamsey continue to thrive under his government.

Following this, many Ghanaians who have become alarmed about the development have raised concerns about president Mahama’s campaign promise to end the menace.