A government advisory team on a fact-finding mission to assess the impact of illegal mining (galamsey) faced stiff resistance in parts of the Western and Central regions as they immobilized and seized equipment.
The operation, aimed at curbing environmental destruction, sparked angry reactions from illegal miners and some officials of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The team, which has been visiting heavily affected areas, took decisive action by seizing pumping machines, generators, and excavators while destroying Changfan machines at galamsey sites in Anwia (near Nkroful), Prestea, and Dunkwa.
However, in Dunkwa, tensions escalated as miners, led by the NDC Constituency Chairman, mobilized to confront the team. Backed by angry miners and residents, the NDC official argued that he had not been consulted before the raid.
The protesters, many of whom were directly involved in illegal mining along the Offin River, blocked roads and threatened a direct standoff with the heavily armed security personnel accompanying the team.
At Anwia, illegal mining had severely damaged roads and nearly collapsed concrete storm drains. In response, the advisory team raided the area, dismantled equipment, and set the mining camps ablaze.
A similar operation occurred at a mining site behind a technical school in Nkroful, where multiple pumps and generators were confiscated.
In Baduwa No. 2, Upper Denkyira East District, illegal mining along the Offin River was identified as a major environmental hazard, causing frequent floods and destroying farmlands.
Residents lamented the long-term damage to their communities, with some expressing frustration over the government’s failure to curb galamsey operations.
Tensions reached a boiling point when the team, conducting an aerial scan of Dunkwa township, discovered a massive illegal excavation dangerously close to the town’s main bridge.
As they assessed the situation, an angry mob stormed the location, demanding that the team leave immediately. The confrontation intensified, with a crowd gathering near the bridge, openly challenging the security forces.
Despite the hostility, the advisory team, which includes Rear Admiral (Rtd) Moses Beick-Baffour, remains resolute in its mission to inform government policy on illegal mining and strengthen future enforcement actions.
As the battle against illegal mining intensifies, the latest resistance highlights the growing political and social tensions surrounding galamsey enforcement, raising critical questions about governance, local complicity, and the enforcement of environmental laws in Ghana.
Source: Erastus Asare Donkor