The President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, has called on President John Dramani Mahama to issue a bold national policy statement reaffirming Ghana’s commitment to ending illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
This appeal follows a violent attack on a joint Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) inspection team and journalists at Dadwene, near Obuasi in the Ashanti Region, on November 6, 2025.
The incident occurred during an EPA operation aimed at clamping down on unauthorized mining activities.
The operation reportedly turned chaotic when suspected illegal miners attacked the team, forcing them to flee. Several people were injured, including four journalists and two EPA officials.
Speaking at the 29th GJA National Media Awards in Kumasi, Mr. Dwumfour described galamsey as a full-blown national security crisis, warning that illegal miners have become “bolder, more daring, and increasingly violent”.
He condemned the attack on the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) boss and his team, describing it as “a direct assault on the authority of the state and the rule of law”.
The GJA demands that the Ghana Police Service brief the nation on the progress of the investigation and leave no stone unturned in identifying, arresting, and prosecuting those responsible.
Mr. Dwumfour urged the government to act decisively and demonstrate genuine political will to end the galamsey scourge, noting that the time for half measures and rhetoric is long past .
