Acting Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie has delivered a stark warning on the devastating impact of illegal small-scale mining, popularly known as galamsey, stressing that the state’s countermeasures have been “half-hearted” and ineffective.
Speaking at the Ghana Bar Association’s annual conference on Monday, September 15, Justice Baffoe-Bonnie described galamsey as “a phenomenon which gnaws at the nation’s heart and is undoubtedly an existential threat.”
He painted a grim picture of the environmental, social, and economic toll of illegal mining, noting that Ghana’s rivers—including the Pra, Ankobra, and Birim—have become “lifeless and murky” due to toxic chemical use and reckless waste disposal. The Ghana Water Company Limited, he warned, has repeatedly cautioned of an imminent water crisis as treatment plants now record losses of up to 50%, compared to an acceptable rate of 5%.
“Galamsey has stripped away topsoil and vegetation, leaving land barren and prone to erosion. Forests have been destroyed, natural habitats disrupted, and entire ecosystems dismantled,” he lamented. He further linked the practice to displacement of farmers, rising poverty, mercury-related health issues, and food insecurity.
On the economic front, the Acting Chief Justice said the destruction of arable land and contaminated water sources has crippled agriculture, driven up food prices, and worsened poverty in mining communities. He also cited national security threats, pointing to a rise in violence, robbery, and other crimes in mining zones.
Justice Baffoe-Bonnie drew on Chinua Achebe’s famous Igbo proverb—“the death that will kill a man begins as an appetite”—to illustrate how the recognition of small-scale mining under PNDCL 218 in 1989 had spiraled into today’s crisis. He criticised successive governments for failing to show the political will to hold powerful actors accountable, choosing instead to target only low-level miners.
“Indeed, in the years after, galamsey has got worse, as the measures we have employed to combat it seem half-hearted and unable to curb this menace, which is a threat to the country’s survival,” he said.
He urged immediate bold reforms, beginning with the repeal of L.I. 2462, which permits mining in forest reserves, describing it as “a good place to start” if Ghana is serious about winning the war.
“The time to act is now, without any further delay,” the Acting Chief Justice stressed.