Kokofu Urges Empowering Institutions Over Politicians to Combat Galamsey

Former Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr Henry Kwabena Kokofu, has advocated for a significant overhaul of Ghana’s approach to combating illegal small-scale mining, commonly known as galamsey.

Dr Kokofu believes the focus should shift from politically-led interventions to empowering state institutions to take the lead in enforcement.

Speaking on Citi FM on Wednesday, December 17, Dr Kokofu argued that relying heavily on politicians in the anti-galamsey effort has consistently yielded disappointing and unsustainable results.

“It takes the use of state institutions that can help. The current situation and the past situation where politicians are put in the forefront in the fight against galamsey have proven not to be worth it. It is not working,” he stated.

He cited the early tenure of former President John Dramani Mahama as a case in point, noting it was the first time a sitting president directly addressed the galamsey issue. However, Dr Kokofu contends the effort failed due to the prominent role given to political figures.

“President Mahama in his first term was the first president in this country to have taken the battle against galamsey head on, and he failed. Between 2012 and 2014, it couldn’t work because politicians were put in the forefront. We had the inter-ministerial committee on galamsey and we all saw the results,” he explained.

Dr. Kokofu also acknowledged initial successes under the Akufo-Addo administration, particularly after 2017, which he attributed to more stringent enforcement.

However, he expressed concern that this momentum was lost, especially during the government’s second term. “The first real battle that was won against galamsey was chalked under the Akufo-Addo government. But going forward, we lost it, particularly in the second term,” he said, adding that the loss of control had both environmental and political ramifications.

Dr Kokofu stressed that a sustainable solution to the galamsey crisis hinges on placing independent state institutions at the forefront of enforcement and curtailing the political interference that has plagued previous attempts.

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