Declare water bodies, biodiversity areas as security zones – Donkor 

Investigative journalist, Erastus Asare Donkor, has called for the declaration of all major water bodies and biodiversity zones as national security areas where mining is strictly prohibited. 

He said such measures must be backed by robust enforcement, which was lacking in Ghana. 

Mr Donkor made the call in his keynote address at the 20th Annual Kronti ne Akwamu Lecture, organised by the Centre for Democratic Governance (CDD), on the theme: “Galamsey: A Country’s Search for a Solution in Plain Sight”. 

The lecture, attended by Members of Parliament, academia and civil society organisations, sought to provide citizens with timely information on the nature and scale of the illegal mining crisis, otherwise known as ‘galamsey’. 

Mr Donkor said the National Anti-Illegal Mining Taskforce (NAIMOS) remained under-resourced, with no dedicated budget, adequate logistics nor political protection. 

“These gaps undermine the taskforce’s ability to safeguard rivers and forest reserves. How do we expect them to protect rivers when we don’t protect them?” he questioned. 

He called for stronger collaboration with local police and the decentralisation of NAIMOS to ensure effective enforcement in designated security zones. 

To enhance transparency and accountability, Mr Donkor urged the establishment of internal watchdog structures within NAIMOS to prevent corruption and institutional weakness. 

He criticised the weak enforcement regime that allowed excavators and heavy equipment to move in and out of mining sites without proper tracking. 

He stressed the need for the Minerals Commission to operationalise the long-delayed excavator tracking system, insisting that all excavators must be registered and monitored in real time. 

He said any unregistered excavator found within a mining area should be seized, adding that no government could claim seriousness in fighting galamsey without the basic tracking systems. 

He proposed the creation of a credible intelligence network comprising journalists, community leaders, forestry officers and civic groups who could provide unfiltered information directly to the Presidency. 

Mr Donkor called for major reforms within the Forestry Commission, advocating its upgrade to a paramilitary-level institution capable of enforcing demarcations and protecting the country’s forest frontiers. 

Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, former Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, said the galamsey crisis persisted not because Ghana lacked strong laws, but it was due to weak enforcement, local-level complicity and political interference. 

He said Ghana continued to overlook significant economic opportunities within its forests while focusing narrowly on gold. 

“For me, as a doctor and as a scientist, when I hear that because of eight or ten billion dollars the environment has to be destroyed, it’s a pity,” he said.  

“There are so many resources in our forests that can give us more money than gold.” 

Prof Frimpong-Boateng stressed the need for a national dialogue on proper and sustainable mining, saying that if gold must be mined, it must be done responsibly and with respect for the environment. 

Source: GNA 

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