Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has slammed the previous administration led by Nana Akufo-Addo for its lackluster approach to tackling illegal mining, known as galamsey.
Speaking at a stakeholder engagement on October 3 in Accra, Hon. Buah revealed that between 2023 and 2024, a mere 4% of arrests made led to successful prosecutions. Out of 845 arrests, only 35 cases were effectively prosecuted, with 24 cases in 2023 and 11 cases in 2024, despite an increase in arrests from 218 to 627 individuals.
He lamented the weak enforcement, citing the slow pace of investigations and prosecutions as a significant setback.
“And yet, law enforcement was weak,” Hon. Buah emphasized, criticizing the limited commitment and lack of political will among key stakeholders under the previous administration.
This ineffective approach has hindered the government’s efforts to crack down on illegal mining.
