Those supposed to stop galamsey are benefitting from it– Manasseh Azure
Investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni has taken a swipe at Ghana’s political establishment, accusing both the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) of lacking genuine commitment to ending illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
Speaking on JoyNews’ AM Show, Manasseh said the country’s persistent failure to tackle the menace decisively is rooted in the political and financial interests of those in positions of power.
“A politician can give you a state of emergency without solving a problem,” he remarked. “Most of the time, the reason we cannot solve a problem is when those who are supposed to solve it are benefiting from it.”
He alleged that both major political parties have, at different times, harboured individuals with vested interests in illegal mining operations. The journalist argued that the people often seen working in the pits are usually just labourers representing powerful sponsors behind the scenes.
“The average young person we see dirty in those pits does not have what it takes to import excavators and huge equipment to the mining site,” Manasseh stated, questioning the sincerity of government’s efforts to clamp down on the practice.
His comments follow the circulation of a viral video showing a police reinforcement team rescuing nine soldiers from a violent confrontation with illegal miners at Ahafo Hwidiem in the Ahafo Region.
According to reports, the soldiers who were on national assignment in Goaso had discovered an illegal mining site at Bronikrom near Hwidiem, arrested the site owner, and seized two vehicles, mobile phones, and pistols. They also set fire to wooden structures and mining equipment before being attacked by a mob linked to the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) team. Police later intervened to restore order.
The incident has reignited public debate about the state’s ability and willingness to combat galamsey, which continues to destroy Ghana’s water bodies and farmlands despite repeated government assurances.
Manasseh concluded that until political actors detach themselves from personal and partisan interests in the illicit trade, the fight against illegal mining will remain, in his words, “a show with no seriousness.”
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