Convenor of the One Ghana Movement, Senyo Hosi, says the government’s dependence on gold revenues and the political interests surrounding illegal mining could make it difficult for President John Dramani Mahama to take tougher action against galamsey.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s The Point of View with Bernard Avle on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, Mr Hosi said the administration’s economic stabilisation efforts had made gold an important component of its strategy.
He argued that because illegal mining is closely connected to Ghana’s gold sector, efforts to clamp down on galamsey could have economic and political consequences for the government.
“He has a very real economic situation. He’s in pursuit of a legacy. What’s the biggest achievement of John Dramani Mahama since he became president? Think about it. The stabilisation of the economy. What has been the main driver of that? Gold. Of which you find a lot of galamsey,” he said.
According to Mr Hosi, these competing interests could constrain the extent to which the government is prepared to pursue aggressive measures against illegal mining.
He further argued that the issue extends beyond the current administration, suggesting that successive governments could encounter similar challenges because of the political and economic interests tied to galamsey.
“The survival of his government is actually tied to that still staying on. There’s no way, as much as he may wish and will, that his party itself would actually do enough about galamsey,” he said.
Mr Hosi also expressed concern about what he described as the increasing political influence of illegal mining operators.
He alleged that some individuals involved in galamsey were no longer only operating within local communities but were also becoming involved in political financing and seeking greater influence in political affairs.
“What is getting worse now is that galamsey has not just become something that you have a social capture; you actually have a political capture as well,” he said.
His comments come amid renewed debate over Ghana’s strategy for tackling illegal mining. In a separate discussion, Mr Hosi has argued that enforcement operations alone may not provide a lasting solution because galamsey has become economically embedded in some mining communities.
He has called for a broader approach that combines enforcement with measures to change the economic incentives sustaining illegal mining, while setting measurable targets for environmental restoration and responsible small-scale mining.
