Mahama must demand Sammy Gyamfi’s retraction on galamsey—Prof. Appiagyei-Atua

President John Dramani Mahama is urged to publicly clarify his administration's stance on illegal mining and request CEO of the Ghana Gold Board, Sammy Gyamfi, to retract his controversial comments on the issue. Professor Kwadwo Appiagyei-Atua from the University of Ghana School of Law believes that the President must intervene to prevent the remarks from being seen as reflecting the government's official position on the illegal mining or "galamsey" fight.

According to Prof. Appiagyei-Atua, any failure to publicly disavow the comments could be interpreted as government acceptance or support of the practice. He argued that as a senior government appointee, Gyamfi's comments could be seen as representing the administration's views. The professor maintained that the issue extended beyond an individual's statement, focusing on the government's responsibility to communicate a consistent position on illegal mining.

Galamsey continues to be a significant environmental and policy concern in Ghana, causing forest degradation, water pollution and damage to agricultural land. Efforts to address the issue have included law enforcement, regulation, and calls for stronger accountability. However, Prof. Appiagyei-Atua also emphasized that the CEO's comments could not alter the country's existing mining laws, which would require proper legislative processes for any changes.

He stressed that the President should explicitly state the government's position to avoid confusion over whether they are committed to combating illegal mining. The professor's comments come as the government's stance on the galamsey fight remains under scrutiny, with questions about whether public statements by officials are consistent with government policy and legal obligations.