Financial economist and academic Dr Razak Kojo Opoku has commended investigative journalist Erastus Asare Donkor for his continued efforts to expose illegal mining activities and their impact on Ghana’s environment.
Dr Opoku said Asare Donkor had remained consistent in his coverage of galamsey, regardless of which political party is in government, although his work had sometimes attracted criticism from supporters of both the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Dr Opoku has observed that Asare Donkor’s reporting has often become a subject of political debate, particularly when his investigations exposes issues that are uncomfortable for the government of the day.
He noted that the journalist did not receive the support he deserved during the NPP administration between 2017 and 2024 and suggested that the current NDC government could also face criticism from him if its handling of illegal mining fall short of expectations.
According to Dr Opoku, Asare Donkor’s work should be judged on the basis of the facts he presents and his commitment to the issue rather than the political reactions his reports generate.
He also took a swipe at some media practitioners whom he accused of allowing political interests and personal agendas to influence their coverage of national issues.
Describing such practices as political populism and “jandam journalism”, Dr Opoku argued that journalism should be driven by facts and the public interest, not political convenience.
He maintained that Asare Donkor has distinguished himself through his sustained reporting on the destruction caused by illegal mining, making him an important voice in Ghana’s fight against galamsey.
Asare Donkor, an assisting News Editor at the Multimedia Group Limited, has built a reputation for investigative reporting, particularly on illegal mining and environmental degradation.
Based in Kumasi, he works across the group’s media platforms, including JoyNews, Luv FM, Adom and Nhyira.
Over the years, he has produced several investigative reports highlighting the impact of galamsey on water bodies, forest reserves and farmlands.
His documentaries, including Destruction for Gold and Poisoned for Gold, brought attention to the scale of environmental damage caused by illegal mining, including the pollution of rivers and the deterioration of water quality.
Through his reports, he has continued to draw attention to the challenges facing communities affected by mining activities and the threat illegal mining poses to Ghana’s natural resources.
Asare Donkor has also used public discussions, including appearances on JoyNews’ Newsfile, to question the effectiveness of measures adopted by successive governments to tackle the problem.
His reports have frequently raised concerns about the performance of regulatory institutions, particularly the Minerals Commission and the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), as well as the need for stronger enforcement of mining regulations.
The journalist’s work has not been without challenges.
In October 2024, Asare Donkor and members of his media crew were attacked by armed security guards while covering environmental destruction at a mining site in the Ashanti Region.
The incident attracted widespread condemnation and brought renewed attention to the dangers journalists face when investigating illegal mining activities.
It also raised concerns about the safety of media practitioners who venture into mining communities to document environmental destruction and other activities linked to galamsey.
In addition to exposing illegal mining activities, Asare Donkor has reported on efforts to restore lands and forest reserves affected by the practice.
One of the interventions he has covered is the GH¢35 million land reclamation project involving GoldBod and the Ghana Armed Forces at the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve.
The initiative is aimed at restoring degraded portions of the reserve and addressing some of the environmental damage caused by illegal mining.
His coverage of such projects has also brought attention to the need to ensure that resources committed to environmental restoration produce the desired results.
Dr Opoku’s comments add to the ongoing debate about the role of the media in Ghana’s fight against illegal mining.
The economist’s position is that journalists should not be judged by whether their reports favour or embarrass a particular political party but by their willingness to pursue the facts and hold those in authority accountable.
He believes Asare Donkor’s continued focus on galamsey, despite changing political administrations, is an example of the consistency expected of journalists covering issues of national importance.
