Publish list of excavator importers to tackle galamsey – Ken Ashigbey

The Convener of the Media Coalition Against Galamsey, Ken Ashigbey, has urged the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources to publish the list of individuals and companies that have imported excavators into the country.

Speaking on The Key Points programme on TV3 on Saturday, March 22, Ashigbey argued that tracking these heavy-duty machines was crucial in the fight against illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey.

“We need to cut the source of funding for the purchase of excavators being used for illegal mining. The identities of the owners of these excavators should also be made public so we can name and shame them,” he said.

He stressed the need to identify those financing illegal mining operations and suggested that chassis numbers of the excavators could be used to trace their real owners.

Call for excavator tracking

Ashigbey recalled that a previous government had piloted an excavator-tracking project in collaboration with the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT). The initiative, which was designed to monitor excavators from a control centre in Accra, was never fully implemented.

He urged the current administration to revive the project, stressing that excavators should be restricted to licensed mining concessions.

“Excavators are not mobile phones that you can put in your pocket and smuggle anywhere. These are heavy machines that do not move fast,” he said. “If we can track them properly, we can trace their owners and hold them accountable.”

Weak enforcement

He criticised the lack of enforcement at the local level, questioning why authorities have failed to stop excavators from entering and leaving protected areas. He reiterated calls for a state of emergency to be declared on Ghana’s forests and water bodies to ensure stricter enforcement.

He also cited a recent case where the Forestry Commission seized 11 excavators but failed to remove them due to a lack of equipment. Illegal miners later retrieved the machines by removing their control boards before authorities could act.

“Each of those excavators costs no less than $200,000. If we immobilise them effectively, it will deter illegal miners and directly hit their operations,” he said.

Beyond tracking, Ashigbey called for financial investigations into the ownership of these machines, suggesting that many were linked to politically exposed individuals. He urged authorities to trace the sources of funds used to purchase excavators and make the information public.

Immigration measures against foreign miners

He also raised concerns about foreign nationals, particularly Chinese nationals, involved in illegal mining. Ashigbey proposed revoking visa-on-arrival privileges for high-risk groups and suggested that Ghanaian visas should carry warnings against engaging in illegal mining, similar to Malaysia’s strict policies on drug trafficking.

He reaffirmed his support for stronger anti-galamsey measures, including engineering solutions to permanently disable seized excavators, given the environmental and financial damage caused by illegal mining.

His call comes as the government continues efforts to combat galamsey, which has severely impacted Ghana’s forests and water bodies.