The Minority on Parliament’s Select Committee on Lands and Natural Resources has welcomed the Presbyterian Church of Ghana’s decision to launch a nationwide campaign against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, describing the initiative as a timely and important intervention in the fight to protect the country’s environment.
In a statement titled “The Red Sunday,” the Minority praised the Church for joining growing national efforts to address the devastating effects of illegal mining on Ghana’s rivers, forests, and farmlands.
According to the caucus, the decision by one of the country’s most respected religious institutions to dedicate a special campaign to the anti-galamsey cause underscores the level of public concern over environmental degradation.
“The decision of one of Ghana’s most respected religious institutions to dedicate a ‘Red Sunday’ campaign to the fight against galamsey is a clear indication of the depth of concern across the country about the worsening state of our environment and water bodies,” the statement noted.
The Minority also expressed concern that despite the government’s campaign promises to decisively tackle illegal mining under its Reset Agenda, the menace remains widespread across many parts of the country.
The caucus argued that nearly two years into the current administration, illegal mining continues to threaten water bodies and forest reserves, with some observers suggesting that the situation has worsened.
“As a responsible opposition party, we remind Ghanaians that the current government rode to power largely on the back of strong promises to end galamsey through its Reset Agenda. Yet, in less than two years, the menace persists and, by many accounts, has become even more widespread and destructive,” the statement said.
However, the Minority cautioned against politicising the fight against illegal mining, stressing that the issue should be approached as a national governance and law enforcement challenge rather than a partisan matter.
According to the caucus, illegal mining has over the years been facilitated by politically exposed persons and influential actors from different political backgrounds, making it necessary to strengthen institutions and enforcement mechanisms that are insulated from political interference.
“The fight against galamsey must not be reduced to partisan point-scoring. We believe a key step in arresting and sustainably containing galamsey is to deliberately remove it from partisan politics and treat it as a strictly national enforcement and governance issue,” the statement added.
The Minority further welcomed the Presbyterian Church’s intervention and called on other faith-based organisations, civil society groups, traditional authorities, media organisations and citizens to actively support efforts to combat illegal mining.
Describing the destruction of natural resources as a national crisis, the caucus said a collective response is needed to safeguard the country’s environmental future.
The statement also highlighted the need for stronger and more sustainable institutional frameworks to support anti-galamsey operations. While acknowledging previous interventions such as Operation Vanguard, GalamStop and the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), the Minority argued that merely changing the names of enforcement structures would not solve the problem.
“While these initiatives have reflected varying levels of commitment, the mere rebranding of enforcement structures is not enough to address a problem of this magnitude,” the statement noted.
