Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene, has said illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, is becoming a mafia situation.
According to the Asantehene, if care is not taken, the galamsey menace will engulf the whole country.
He added that the issues surrounding galamsey must be taken seriously, stressing that it should not be trivialised nor politicised.
Speaking at the 29th Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) awards on November 8, 2025, the Asantehene stated, “Galamsey, for example, is an issue that is so dear to everybody’s heart. We have to be very careful because it’s destroying this country. It’s more and more like a mafia situation where if you are not very careful, it’s going to engulf all of us.”
“And, therefore, we have to take this issue very, very seriously. We joke about it or we think it’s not serious, but it is, and I was asking how many people would vote for a party or a government, while we don’t want to take a firm decision on this. I’ve asked myself, because it’s politics, it’s because of votes, nothing else”.
“I can’t see why we cannot take up this matter seriously unless we are all complicit. Other than that, it’s also a serious matter. So, I was listening to the president, and I feel that more must be done to stop this,” he added.
Also, President John Dramani Mahama has vowed that as the President of Ghana, he will never give up in the fight against galamsey.
According to John Mahama, his government is leading a programme to restore mined and degraded lands and also create employment for youth.
Speaking at the 2025 GJA/KGL National Awards held at the Manhyia Palace on Saturday, November 8, John Mahama stated, “We’re restoring degraded lands while creating thousands of jobs for young people in affected communities.
I have asked the Minister of Finance to increase the budget allocation so that we can recruit more youth into forest tree planting and the Blue Water Guard to safeguard our water bodies”.
He added, “These youth are to be recruited from affected communities, and they will receive a monthly stipend of GHC1,500. I wish to commend journalists who persist in exposing environmental crime at great personal risk.
Your bravery is noted, and it’s patriotic. I wish to assure you, as the President, that I will never give up the fight,” he emphasised.
Meanwhile, the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) has conducted a dawn operation at Osino in the Eastern Region, arresting 36 suspected illegal miners.
The group includes 32 Nigerien nationals and 4 Ghanaians, reportedly caught mining illegally along the Birim River in the Fanteakwa South District.
In a post on social media, Felix Kwaye Ofosu, Minister of Government Communications, stated, “NAIMOS Conducts Massive Dawn Strike in Eastern Region, arrests Several Foreign Galamseyers (32 Nigerien and 4 Ghanaians) in Swoop at Osino in the Fanteakwa South District – 8 November 2025”.
Furthermore, NAIMOS has arrested a galamsey kingpin attempting to bribe them with GHS 100,000.
This comes following NAIMOS a successful raid at an illegal mining (galamsey) site in Bisiasi, Ayensuano District, Eastern Region.
The operation resulted in the arrest of the alleged operation leader, who is accused of blocking and polluting the Ayensu River.
The galamseyers appeared at the site armed with a pistol and attempted to bribe the Task Force with a cash amount of GHS 100,000.
Watch the video below:
🇬🇭 Galamsey is becoming more like a mafia ,if we’re not careful, it will engulf us all.” – Otumfuo Osei Tutu II warns at the GJA Royal Banquet. pic.twitter.com/TJfKLdGY5a
— CDR AFRICA (@cdrafrica) November 9, 2025