My views on galamsey haven’t changed- Sam George
Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has called for more decisive and sustained action to combat illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, warning that its continued impact on Ghana’s water bodies is “devastating.”
Speaking on Channel One TV’s The Point of View on Monday, September 29, 2025, the Minister expressed deep concern about the state of the anti-galamsey fight.
“Am I excited about where our country is with galamsey? Hell no, absolutely not. I think that a lot more has to be done,” he said.
Despite his dissatisfaction, Mr. George acknowledged that the past few months have seen a marked increase in enforcement efforts, particularly under the leadership of the current Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah.
“Is work on the way? Certainly? We have seen more action in the last eight to nine months since Armah-Buah took office than we have seen in eight years,” he stated.
He also praised the collaborative military operations spearheaded by Armah-Buah and former Defence Minister Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, aimed at confronting illegal mining in affected areas.
“There’s considerable work. God bless his soul, my big brother, Omane Boamah, was doing a lot of joint military operations with Armah-Buah in that regard. We need to see decisive action to end galamsey. My views on galamsey have not changed,” he said.
His comments come amid growing public pressure on the government to intensify its crackdown on illegal mining, which continues to pollute rivers, destroy forests, and threaten food and water security.
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