‘The state itself is complicit in galamsey fight’ – Bokpin

Economist and Professor of Finance at the University of Ghana Business School, Prof Godfred Bokpin, has accused the state of complicity in the fight against illegal mining, arguing that political interference and a lack of leadership have allowed the menace to escalate.

He said the scale of illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, had worsened over the years, particularly with the involvement of politically connected individuals, while authorities continued to shift attention to less influential actors.

Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, October 31, 2026, Prof Bokpin questioned the government’s commitment to protecting the environment, insisting that the destruction of the country’s natural resources reflected a failure of leadership.

He drew a comparison with the biblical account in Judges 21:25, which states that there was no king in Israel and everyone did what was right in their own eyes.

“In this galamsey, there is no leadership. Everybody is doing as they see fit in their eyes,” he said.

Prof Bokpin argued that the Constitution places the country’s natural resources under the care of the President, who holds them in trust for the people of Ghana.

He questioned why the State had failed to protect the environment despite its constitutional responsibility to safeguard the country’s resources for present and future generations.

The economist also criticised what he described as attempts to blame the activities of illegal mining on junior high school dropouts, arguing that such individuals could not independently facilitate the importation of heavy mining equipment, including changfans.

“We are using JSS school dropouts as a face shield. We know those who are behind this,” he stated.

He questioned how a junior high school leaver could import such equipment, insisting that the focus should instead be on identifying the influential individuals and networks facilitating illegal mining.

Professor Bokpin said illegal mining had existed in Ghana for decades but had not reached its current scale until politically connected persons became increasingly involved in the activity.

He further warned that the destruction of the environment undermined the country’s economic management efforts, stressing that economic development could not be sustained if the ecological foundations of the economy were being destroyed.

“Mr President, you cannot talk about managing an economy when the very foundation of this economy, being the environment, the ecological integrity, is being compromised,” he said.

He expressed deep concern about the extent of environmental degradation, questioning what the country was doing to itself and warning that the consequences of the destruction could affect generations to come.

Prof Bokpin called for stronger leadership and accountability in addressing illegal mining, stressing the need for the State to take responsibility for protecting the country’s environmental resources.