The credibility of Ghana’s anti-galamsey campaign is once again under scrutiny following shocking allegations linking two sitting Members of Parliament to illegal mining operations.
Professor Eric Abavare, President of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), says the revelations expose the political complicity that continues to cripple the nation’s environmental protection efforts.
His comments follow a violent confrontation at Bronikrom–Hwidiem, where about 600 youth attacked a National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) task force after soldiers arrested two illegal miners and seized vehicles and weapons at a suspected galamsey site.
The confrontation forced police to intervene and evacuate the military personnel from the area. The mob was allegedly mobilised by the Member of Parliament for Asutifi North, Hon. Ebenezer Kwaku Addo, with fellow MP Collins Dauda also accused of having ties to the operation.
“Political Protection of Galamsey Must End”
In a Facebook post that has since sparked national debate, Prof. Abavare said the alleged involvement of politicians in galamsey proves that Ghana’s environmental crisis is being fuelled from the top.
“When we say galamsey is orchestrated by older and powerful people, some disbelieve it. Here you are — the so-called Honourables of Parliament, clothed and fed by the poor who pay taxes — deeply behind this carnage,” he wrote.
Describing the situation as “a betrayal of public trust,” the UTAG President warned that continued political interference will erode public confidence in Parliament and make the fight against illegal mining a “mockery.”
He said any MP proven to have shielded illegal miners should resign immediately to preserve the integrity of Ghana’s legislature.
“If what we saw and heard is true in the video, then they should quickly do themselves the needful to resign as sitting MPs. It is shameful and brings the name of the August House into disrepute,” he added.
Link to Policy Reforms in Parliament
The controversy comes at a critical time when government is seeking to revoke Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 2462, which allowed mining in forest reserves. The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, last week laid before Parliament the Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Revocation Instrument, 2025, signalling a policy U-turn.
The move, widely praised by environmentalists, is intended to strengthen Ghana’s environmental protection framework and send a message that illegal mining will no longer be tolerated — regardless of political connections.
However, with the latest allegations pointing to high-level involvement, experts fear that Ghana’s renewed legislative efforts could be undermined by entrenched political interests.
A Moral Reckoning for Parliament
Prof. Abavare reminded legislators of their duty to uphold integrity, invoking the memory of Major Maxwell Mahama and other officers who lost their lives combating galamsey.
“We now know who the wreckers and saboteurs are against Ghana’s progress,” he warned. “Those who are not yet caught should note that the hour will come, and we will certainly catch you.”
Environmental advocates say the scandal presents an opportunity for Parliament to prove its commitment to accountability — by investigating the allegations swiftly and ensuring that public officials implicated in galamsey face consequences.
