A leading member of the Media Coalition Against Galamsey, Dr. Kenneth Ashigbey, has expressed concern that Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) left their recent meeting with President John Mahama without receiving clear timelines for the promises made to combat illegal mining.
Dr. Ashigbey, who also serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications, said that although the President outlined what could trigger a declaration of a state of emergency in the fight against galamsey, no specific milestones or deadlines were provided.
“The format of the program did not allow for that opportunity, so we did not get clear milestones and we did not get clear timelines,” Dr. Ashigbey said during an appearance on JoyNews’ PM Express on October 6.
President Mahama had earlier met with CSOs at the Jubilee House on October 3, urging them to intensify their advocacy and maintain pressure on government to end illegal mining. The meeting followed growing concern from environmental groups about the government’s pace and strategy in addressing the menace.
Dr. Ashigbey revealed that the Coalition had planned to ask specific questions regarding what would constitute a state of emergency, the timelines for implementing key interventions, and the President’s own definition of success in the fight against galamsey. However, he said those questions were never addressed.
“Looking at what the Lands Minister presented, we should note that in his concluding slide there were a few issues that had timelines — but the majority did not,” he explained.
He added that even in the President’s responses, critical details were missing.
“The President, in responding to the issues raised, only spoke about what would lead him to declare a state of emergency. The only thing we heard was that his National Security chiefs are the ones failing us. So again, we did not get any timelines,” Dr. Ashigbey said.
He further noted that the matter of accountability among local authorities and traditional leaders, which the Coalition had hoped would be discussed, did not feature in the conversation.
“On the issue of chiefs — that the good ones are helping prevent galamsey while others who are complicit should be held responsible, alongside DCEs — that did not come up,” he lamented.
Dr. Ashigbey’s comments underscore growing concerns among stakeholders that the government’s anti-galamsey efforts lack urgency, structure, and measurable targets needed to end the environmental crisis.
