Stop giving foreign galamseyers safe passage — Col Festus Aboagye urges gov’ts
Retired military officer and security analyst, Colonel Festus Aboagye (Rtd), has critised Ghana’s handling of illegal mining, accusing successive governments of moral failure and selective justice in the fight against galamsey.
Appearing on TV3’s The KeyPoints on Saturday, May 10, Col Aboagye condemned the deportation of foreign nationals — predominantly Chinese — arrested for illegal mining, while Ghanaian accomplices are prosecuted and jailed.
“I find it difficult to understand why a foreigner comes into our country, legally or illegally, destroys our environment, and is then given safe passage home. Meanwhile, local collaborators are sent to Nsawam,” he fumed.
His comments follow a disclosure by Interior Minister Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka that 107 foreign nationals have been deported since he assumed office, as part of efforts to clamp down on illegal mining.
While the Minister reaffirmed the government’s resolve to curb illegal mining due to its devastating environmental and economic consequences, Col Aboagye insisted the current approach lacks fairness, accountability, and results.
“No foreigner is superior to a Ghanaian citizen,” he declared. “The next time a foreigner is caught, they should be tried in Ghanaian courts — not escorted home with diplomatic courtesy.”
Col Aboagye said the galamsey crisis is not just a law enforcement issue, but a national moral test. “We are devouring our own state — our rivers, forests, and lands — with no regard for the future. This isn’t just incompetence; it is a moral collapse,” he said.
He challenged the government to provide verifiable data on progress made in its anti-galamsey efforts. “If the government says seven out of nine forest reserves have been reclaimed in 120 days, let’s see the proof. Where’s the data? Where are the benchmarks?” he queried.
The retired colonel argued that the main environmental threat is not artisanal mining, but the deployment of heavy industrial machines in forest zones and river bodies.
“Our ancestors mined gold with their bare hands and left the environment largely intact. Today, we’ve mechanised destruction. The focus must be on stopping excavators from entering ecologically sensitive areas,” he said.
He further criticised the use of “national security” as an excuse to block access to vital information on galamsey-related investigations.
“Invoking national security to hide information is unacceptable. Ghana’s intelligence oversight is far from global standards. Even Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee is often kept in the dark,” he said.
He claimed some MPs have been denied access to intelligence reports, while individuals connected to politicians allegedly gain privileged access.
Col Aboagye further called for a complete overhaul of Ghana’s approach to illegal mining.
“From the beginning, I thought the so-called reset agenda meant every foreigner caught would be prosecuted. That hasn’t happened. It’s a clear betrayal of the Ghanaian people,” he said.
