Galamsey is a moral crime — Eastern Region chiefs urge Mahama to enforce tougher environmental laws
The President of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs, Nene Sakite II, has called on President John Dramani Mahama to take firmer and sustained action against illegal mining, describing it as a “moral crime” that is destroying the region’s environment, livelihoods, and cultural heritage.
Speaking on Sunday, July 21, 2025, at a gathering at Jackson Park in Koforidua during President Mahama’s Thank You tour of the Eastern Region, the Paramount Chief of Manya Krobo warned that the continued destruction of the environment posed a serious threat to both current and future generations.
“We must all live by the eleventh commandment,” Nene Sakite said. “Thou shalt not destroy the environment.” He added that sacred groves, rivers, and forests, deeply woven into the local culture and essential to survival, were being lost to the spread of illegal mining, commonly referred to as *galamsey*.
While acknowledging the efforts made by the newly re-elected administration within its first 120 days, Nene Sakite said that more visible enforcement was needed to halt the ongoing destruction of arable land and water bodies.
“The fight against galamsey must be sustained and intensified,” he said, adding that traditional authorities were prepared to support the government in any lawful effort to protect the country’s natural resources.
Illegal mining remains a major cause of water pollution, deforestation, and land degradation in Ghana, particularly in parts of Akyem, Birim North, and Krobo areas. In several communities across the Eastern Region, residents have complained of increasing food insecurity, destroyed farmlands, and outbreaks of waterborne diseases due to polluted rivers.
Nene Sakite also reminded the President that the environmental fight was not only a matter of law and policy but one of moral responsibility and national survival.
“As the global community advances the environmental agenda, Ghana must not be left behind,” he said. “This is about dignity, life, and future prosperity.”
He noted that protecting rivers such as the Densu and Birim would help secure access to clean water, support agriculture, and reduce government spending on water treatment.
President Mahama, who addressed traditional leaders, party officials, and residents during the tour, is expected to respond to the concerns raised in subsequent policy statements.
The Eastern Regional House of Chiefs’ call adds to mounting pressure from traditional authorities for stronger environmental governance to prevent further loss of both natural and cultural assets.
With environmental damage continuing to affect rural livelihoods across the country, many Ghanaians are likely to monitor closely whether President Mahama’s second term will produce more decisive action on illegal mining.
