Civil society group OccupyGhana has written to President John Dramani Mahama, demanding urgent measures to curb illegal small-scale mining, popularly known as galamsey.
The letter, dated September 29, 2025, marks the third anniversary of a similar petition the group sent to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in which they accused the government of failing to halt illegal mining activities despite public promises and existing laws.
OccupyGhana noted that despite writing eight separate letters to President Akufo-Addo over an eight-week period—calling for strict enforcement of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703)—the government “did next to nothing” to address the menace. The group said they never received an acknowledgment of their appeals.
“We are sending it to you, as the current occupant of that office, just in the form that we sent it to the then President, and demanding immediate action to deal with the issue,” the letter to Mr. Mahama stated.
The group emphasized that successive governments have either shown incompetence or complicity in environmental degradation and water pollution caused by illegal mining. They urged Mr. Mahama’s administration to rise to the challenge and decisively address the issue.
OccupyGhana further pledged to repeat its call every year on the anniversary of its reminders until concrete action is taken.
The letter has been copied to all major media houses.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
