Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) Executive Director Sulemana Braimah has asserted that traditional leaders, not government policies alone, are pivotal in eradicating illegal mining (galamsey), urging influential chiefs to impose moratoriums on all mining activities in their domains to halt environmental devastation.
Speaking on JoyNews on Wednesday, Braimah argued that chiefs in mining communities command unmatched authority over land and locals. “If some of these influential chiefs… say for the next one month, I don’t want mining on my land—whether large-scale, medium, or small-scale—you have no choice but to pause,” he stated, emphasizing that such decisive action could force compliance where political efforts falter.
He criticized the perception that chiefs’ complicity enables galamsey, adding: “People will point to the fact that once the chiefs are involved… politicians can do nothing.” Braimah called for intensified engagement with traditional authorities to enforce responsible practices, warning that without their commitment, rivers like the Pra and Birim—90% polluted per 2025 EPA data—face irreversible damage.
The remarks align with ongoing anti-galamsey campaigns, including the August 2025 revocation of 278 licenses and the President’s October pledge for a GH¢500 million reclamation fund. However, 2025 saw 1,200+ illegal sites busted, with 45% linked to chief-endorsed operations, per Minerals Commission reports.
