Former NPP parliamentary aspirant for the Subin Constituency, Joseph Boakye Danquah

A former NPP parliamentary aspirant for the Subin Constituency, Joseph Boakye Danquah, has strongly refuted the argument that an absolute ban on illegal small-scale mining, commonly known as 'galamsey,' would severely impact a section of Ghanaians dependent on it for their livelihood.

In an exclusive interview with GhanaWeb in June 2025, the former NPP politician and tax accountant asserted that the environmental and societal damage caused by galamsey far outweighs any perceived benefits.

He urged the government to implement extreme measures to curb the menace.

Danquah vehemently rejected the notion that it would be unfair to vigorously clamp down on illegal mining without first providing alternative livelihood options for those involved.

“Galamsey has become an existential threat to Ghana. The very existence of the nation is under threat by galamsey. This is not the first time I’m saying this. I’ve said same, years back because anybody who is conscious of himself as a citizen of Ghana and does not wake up at night to think about what galamsey is doing to our country, is not a Ghanaian,” he fumed.

“No nation can survive without rivers, water bodies and without vegetation covers. Yet we are so greedy that we want to destroy the environment to put money in our pockets… And I don’t like that argument that we should find alternatives for galamseyers before tackling the menace…Then let’s allow armed robbers to continue doing robbery because that is how they also live,” he added, drawing a stark comparison.

While acknowledging that the fight against galamsey has been a persistent challenge for successive governments, Danquah admitted that the current Mahama-led government is making efforts to address the situation but believes more robust action is needed.

Meanwhile, other stakeholders, including Ken Ashigbey, CEO of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, and Awula Serwah of Eco Conscious Citizens, and others have called for the repeal of LI 2462 – the Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Regulations, 2022, which prohibits mining in forest reserves.

They have criticised the ruling NDC government for amending LI 2462 instead of fulfilling its 2024 election campaign promise to repeal it entirely.

Watch video on GhanaWeb TV below:

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