Professor of Political Science at the University of Ghana and Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Shippers Authority, Ransford Gyampo has publicly expressed his dismay over the partisan debate surrounding Ghana’s fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
In a detailed statement shared on social media, Gyampo accused the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) of attempting to hijack the fight against galamsey, despite having “fuelled this menace” during their eight-year tenure.
According to Gyampo, the NPP “passed laws to let people go mine in the forest” and granted over 2,000 mining licenses to cronies, paving the way for unprecedented destruction of Ghana’s lands and water bodies.
“This is bigger than petty politics,” Gyampo stressed.
He argued that credible and longstanding advocacy groups—including the Coalition Against Galamsey, UTAG, and the OneGhana Movement, should lead public demands for more radical measures against illegal mining, rather than self-serving political actors.
Highlighting the NDC government’s current interventions, Gyampo noted the deployment of police to reclaim nine forest reserves and the ongoing repeal of laws that previously allowed uncontrolled mining.
While he supports the government’s actions, Gyampo reiterated his personal call for a state of emergency to shut the source of the problem, “We must shut the tap causing flooding before we start mopping the floor.”
Gyampo also addressed what he described as historical sabotage by political actors who, he claims, intimidated labor union leaders, spread misinformation about galamsey’s health implications, and attempted to suppress whistleblowers such as Prof. Frimpong Boateng.
In closing, Gyampo reaffirmed his commitment to shaping policy from within government structures while advocating for non-partisan, evidence-based interventions,
“I fight to shape and influence policy first from within. I am sometimes successful and other times I just need to keep pushing. And this I will continue to do, not for self but for Ghana, our Motherland.”
