Chiefs are not fighting galamsey because they're not involved in licensing

Chiefs are not fighting galamsey because they're not involved in licensing - Dr Steve Manteaw

Policy analyst and communications strategist, Dr Steve Manteaw

Policy analyst and communications strategist, Dr Steve Manteaw, has stated that traditional authorities have either been complicit or sidelined in the fight against illegal mining activities, popularly referred to as galamsey.

Speaking at a stakeholder engagement session on lands and natural resources, on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, he pointed out that the exclusion of chiefs in licensing and the allocation of mineral rights is a major obstacle to tackle the menace.

"One of the challenges in the fight against small scale mining has been the complicity of traditional authority or suspected complicity of traditional authority, their non-involvement also in terms of the combating of the menace. I currently work as the technical advisor to the UK Ghana Gold Program, which is a UK government support to the government of Ghana in dealing with the illegalities in the small-scale mining sector.

"And the constant complaints we hear from the chiefs is their non-involvement in the licensing process in terms of mineral rights. And they normally would sarcastically ask why they should be concerned, why they should be involved in the fight against galamsey when they are not involved in the allocation of the rights even though they are the landowners and have the rights to the land," he stated.

He continued, "So, we thought that we should find a way to involve the chiefs in the trusteeship that is currently bestowed on the president of the republic and in that sense, bring them on board and get them to support ongoing efforts at curbing illegal mining."

The Constitutional Review Committee is holding series of engagements on critical governance topics, including lands and natural resources, decentralisation, public services to solicit views on the proposals for amendment of the 1992 Constitution and make actionable recommendations aimed at enhancing democratic governance in the country.

JKB/AE

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