Galamsey: We’re winning the financial war but losing the environmental war – Prof Appiagyei-Tuah

An Associate Professor at the University of Ghana School of Law, Prof Kwadwo Appiagyei-Tuah, has praised the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) for its role in mobilising gold to support the economy and stabilise the Cedi but warned that the gains are being undermined by the country’s continued struggle against illegal mining.

He said Ghana appeared to be making progress on the economic front through gold mobilisation, but the environmental damage caused by galamsey remained a major concern.

“We agree that GoldBod is doing well in getting the gold to support the economy and stabilise the Ghanaian cedi. It appears we are winning the financial war but are losing the environmental war,” he said.

Prof Appiagyei-Tuah’s comments highlight the tension between the economic benefits of Ghana’s gold trade and the environmental consequences of illegal mining, particularly the pollution of water bodies and destruction of forest reserves.

He had earlier acknowledged that some progress had been made in the fight against galamsey but questioned the evidence behind some of the figures being presented to support claims of success.

“Definitely, some progress has been made, but there are some figures that have been thrown about without evidence,” he said.

He added that although some available information suggested the government was making progress, other figures did not support that assessment, with data still indicating that illegal mining remained alarming.

The comments were made on JoyNews’ Newsfile programme on Saturday, October 31, amid renewed public debate over the effectiveness of government interventions against illegal mining.