Former Chief Executive Officer of CAL Bank, Frank Adu, has delivered a scathing critique of the government’s approach to tackling illegal small-scale mining, popularly known as galamsey, warning that the country is on a perilous path if more decisive action is not taken.

In an interview with Joy News monitored by GhanaWeb, Mr Adu expressed alarm over the extent of environmental destruction caused by galamsey activities and criticised what he described as the state’s failure to enforce meaningful measures.

He went as far as proposing the use of drone technology to launch aerial attacks on illegal mining sites, should the government prove incapable of confronting the crisis head-on.

"I don't fault them. You probably should go to some country, open your skies to them and say they should use drone technology to bomb all these galamsey sites because you can map them," he stated. "It's going to be like Colombia eventually — the cartels running this galamsey will control the politicians because they can fund you to become an MP."

Mr. Adu lamented the irreversible environmental damage, citing data that indicates Ghana has lost approximately 11 percent of its forest cover — a figure he called “huge” and dangerous for a country that relies heavily on its biodiversity for environmental stability and agriculture.

“This is flora and fauna that is required for the sustenance of the entire country. A few people… and they are getting support. We are paying lip service to this thing,” he added.

Frank Adu shared a personal experience that underscored the human cost of illegal mining.

“I have seen a fetus of a baby in a kidney pan. It is small — and a seven-month-old fits into it, at a galamsey site,” he revealed, highlighting the disturbing public health and humanitarian consequences tied to the illicit operations.

His comments come amid growing public frustration over the government’s handling of illegal mining, which has contaminated major water bodies, destroyed fertile farmlands, and led to widespread displacement in mining communities.

Environmentalists and civil society groups have consistently called for stricter enforcement of mining regulations and harsher penalties for offenders. However, many believe political interests and corruption have undermined the will to act.