Senyo Hosi, the Convener of the OneGhana Movement and Trustee of the Ghana Coalition Against Galamsey, has said Ghana’s fight against illegal mining (galamsey) has failed.
According to Senyo Hosi, the fight against illegal mining requires a fundamental change in strategy to address the economic and political interests which have been sustaining the practice.
Senyo Hosi stressed that Ghana’s continued reliance on raids and enforcement operations will not deliver lasting results.
He called on government to tackle the financial incentives that encourage politicians, communities and other influential interests to support illegal mining.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, November 14, he stated, “The fight against galamsey has failed. We should stop going around the bush. It has failed”.
He argued that any new approach must go beyond formalising mining operations and introduce measures that remove the economic motivations.
Senyo Hosi noted that government cannot just eliminate galamsey where it has become a major source of livelihood.
He argued that the scale of economic interests involved made it difficult to achieve lasting results through military raids.
According to Senyo Hosi, for Ghana to win the fight against galamsey requires difficult political decisions and a willingness to confront powerful interests that benefit from the illegal mining economy.
“If you want to win this, you will win it. The only thing is that it comes at a certain cost. Politicians will not want to pay,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Minority in Parliament has announced plans to summon the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, to Parliament to clarify the government’s position on reports that miners could commence operations without licences and regularise their activities afterwards.
The Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, made this announcement during a Leaders’ Media Briefing on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, expressing concern over comments attributed to the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board, Sammy Gyamfi.
Sammy Gyamfi had reportedly suggested that miners operating outside restricted areas, including water bodies and forest reserves, could be allowed to undertake mining activities while steps were taken to regularise their operations.
However, Afenyo-Markin argued that such a position could undermine the legal framework governing mining in Ghana, particularly the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703).
He maintained that the law does not permit individuals to engage in small-scale mining without first obtaining the necessary licence.
“The Minerals and Mining Act 2006, Act 703, admits no exception, and registration and regularisation must never become an amnesty,” he stated.
Under Section 82(1) of Act 703, a licence must be obtained before a person can undertake small-scale mining operations.
The Minority Leader said the caucus wanted the Lands Minister to explain whether the reported position of the Gold Board CEO reflected the government’s official policy and how the proposed regularisation process would comply with existing mining laws.
Afenyo-Markin stressed that efforts to address galamsey should not be influenced by political considerations, arguing that the destruction of the country’s natural resources affects all Ghanaians, irrespective of their political affiliations.
“Our rivers and forests are not partisan,” Afenyo-Markin declared.
Afenyo-Markin stressed that the Minority would pursue the matter through Parliament and demand clarity from the minister, warning against any approach to formalising small-scale mining that could weaken the enforcement of existing laws.
New footage allegedly captures the moments leading to the arrest of a suspect in connection with the tragic killing of 15-year-old Ghanaian teenager Javits Frimpong in the Bronx, New York. #GHNow https://t.co/NtPvHXlPFi
— GHnow (@ghnow_) November 13, 2026
