Asantehene blames corruption, political missteps for galamsey surge

The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, spoke about corruption and political miscalculations. He sees these as major barriers to Ghana's fight against illegal mining, known as galamsey.

At the Global Mining Summit in Accra on Monday, he expressed concern over environmental degradation. He warned that illegal mining threatens Ghana’s ecological and economic sustainability.

“The pollution of our water bodies and destruction of forests must stop,” he stated. He added that regulatory failures and corruption make it harder to combat this issue.

Otumfuo criticized past government interventions for being ineffective. He noted that good measures have been undermined by systemic failures and weak enforcement.

He called for a renewed approach to tackle galamsey. The Asantehene urged stakeholders to engage in honest policy reviews. He emphasized the need for firm regulatory enforcement.

“We can calmly examine the policy options available,” he advised. Despite the challenges, he praised the government for innovative policies in mining.

He highlighted the Gold for Oil (Gold4Oil) program as a positive step forward. This initiative could stabilize the industry and promote sustainable development.

He also welcomed Goldbod, a new mining entity. He described it as a timely initiative that could boost investor confidence and production yields.

“The emergence of Goldbod is crucial for industry growth,” he said. It brings urgency to addressing ongoing challenges in illegal mining.

The Asantehene’s remarks have led to calls for a nonpartisan approach to end illegal mining in Ghana.