1 day Ago By News Ghana
News Ghana, Latest Updates and Breaking News of Ghana, News Ghana, https://newsghana.com.gh/political-patronage-fuels-ghanas-illegal-mining-crisis-says-industry-leader/The entrenched involvement of political figures in Ghana’s illegal mining sector has emerged as the primary obstacle to solving the environmental crisis, according to Dr.
Anthony Aubynn, CEO of the Petroleum Hub Development Corporation.In a televised interview, the mining expert revealed how political protection shields illegal operators from prosecution, perpetuating the destruction of water bodies and forest reserves.Dr.
Aubynn pointed to a troubling pattern of high-level political interference, recalling how former President Akufo-Addo publicly defended Akonta Mining despite evidence of regulatory violations. “When politicians in leadership positions become stakeholders in these illegal operations, enforcement mechanisms collapse,” he explained during his appearance on Channel One TV’s The Point of View. The veteran industry leader first documented this systemic challenge in 2009, noting that the problem has only intensified over the past decade.
While acknowledging the current administration’s efforts to regulate small-scale mining, Dr. Aubynn cautioned against expecting quick fixes to a crisis decades in the making. He particularly criticized Legislative Instrument 2462, which grants ministerial discretion to permit mining in protected forest areas.
“The law essentially legalizes forest destruction under the guise of regulated mining,” he argued, calling for its immediate repeal and replacement with stricter safeguards.The comments come amid renewed national debate about galamsey’s devastating impact on Ghana’s ecosystems. Recent satellite imagery shows over 30% of the country’s forest cover has been degraded by illegal mining activities, with mercury pollution rendering several major rivers biologically dead.
Environmental economists estimate the ecological damage costs Ghana nearly $3 billion annually in lost agricultural productivity and water treatment expenses.Civil society groups have echoed Dr. Aubynn’s concerns about political complicity, with the Ghana Environmental Advocacy Group reporting over 50 cases of arrested illegal miners being released following political intervention since 2020.
As the government prepares new mining sector reforms, observers warn that without dismantling these patronage networks, even the strongest regulations will remain impotent against the galamsey scourge. News Ghana, Latest Updates and Breaking News of Ghana, News Ghana, https://newsghana.com.
gh/political-patronage-fuels-ghanas-illegal-mining-crisis-says-industry-leader/.
