‘Tax for Galamsey’: Prosecute illegal mining enablers – Ken Ashigbey urges Mahama

The Convener of the Media Coalition Against Galamsey, Kenneth Ashigbey, has called for the prosecution of public officials who facilitate illegal mining, warning that the growing crisis poses an existential threat to Ghana’s survival.

According to him, the widespread destruction of water bodies, farmlands, and livelihoods caused by illegal mining—commonly referred to as galamsey—has reached alarming levels and should no longer be treated as a mere regulatory failure. Instead, he argued, such actions must be classified and addressed as criminal conduct under the law.

Speaking on Newsfile on JoyNews on Saturday, Dr. Ashigbey stressed the severity of the situation. “It is not just about illegal mining anymore. This is an existential threat that is eating us up,” he said, highlighting the environmental and socio-economic damage being inflicted across mining communities.

He further argued that public officials who enable these activities—particularly those who approve permits or benefit directly or indirectly—must be held personally accountable. In his view, such actions go beyond administrative errors and fall squarely within the realm of criminal liability.

“If a District Chief Executive signs a permit that facilitates this destruction, that is not an administrative mistake. It is a criminal act. And the law is clear—ignorance is no excuse,” he stated.

Dr. Ashigbey firmly rejected calls for disciplinary measures such as dismissals alone, insisting that removing officials from office without prosecuting them undermines justice and emboldens others to engage in similar conduct.

“They should not just be removed from office. They must be prosecuted. The offences committed go beyond administrative wrongdoing—there are clear legal provisions for this,” he added.

His comments come in the wake of remarks by John Dramani Mahama, who recently disclosed during a meeting with Civil Society Organisations that preliminary government investigations had uncovered a long-standing practice in which some district assemblies collected fees from illegal miners as a source of internally generated revenue.

The President described the practice as deeply troubling and directed all Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) to immediately halt such activities. He further warned that any official found complicit would face severe sanctions.

The directive followed findings from a “Tax for Galamsey” exposé by JoyNews, which revealed how certain assemblies were charging levies on illegal mining operations.

Despite these actions, Dr. Ashigbey maintains that sanctions alone are insufficient. He argued that the revelations expose a deeper, systemic issue within governance structures that requires firm and decisive legal intervention.

“This goes beyond administrative wrongdoing. If public officials are knowingly facilitating illegal mining, then they must be prosecuted under the law,” he reiterated.

He also cautioned that a serious and sustained crackdown on galamsey would likely uncover widespread complicity among public officials at various levels. However, he emphasized that this should not deter authorities from enforcing the law.

“If we are serious, many more people will be implicated. But that is exactly why the law must be applied—fairly and without fear,” he concluded.