Environment Ministry should lead galamsey fight, not Lands Ministry – Murtala Muhammed

The Minister nominee for Environment, Science, and Technology, Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, has argued that the fight against illegal mining widely known as galamsey should be led by the Ministry of Environment rather than the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources.

Expressing his concerns during his vetting on Thursday, January 29, the Tamale Central MP questioned the current approach, suggesting that the Ministry of Lands has been accused—whether justifiably or not—of being involved in the galamsey problem and should not be at the forefront of efforts to combat it.

“If you ask me my personal view, I think the issue of fighting galamsey should be led by the Ministry of Environment, not the Ministry of Lands. The Ministry of Lands has been accused, rightly or wrongly, of being a participant in the galamsey menace. So it shouldn’t be the Ministry of Lands taking the lead,” he stated.

His call for restructuring the fight against galamsey comes as Ghana continues to grapple with the environmental and economic impacts of illegal mining, particularly on water bodies, forests, and farmlands.

Mr Murtala Mohammed further criticised the previous inter-ministerial committee set up to tackle galamsey, highlighting the exclusion of the Ministry of Environment.

According to him, “The reason galamsey is a major issue is because of the destruction of the environment and its consequences on livelihoods. Therefore, the Ministry of Environment should play a lead role in addressing this.”

“It was mind-boggling that the Ministry of Environment, Science, and Technology was not even on that committee,” he added.