Journalist Kwasi E. Baako interviewed an accused illegal miner from Bekwai, who stands accused of devastating farmland valued at GHC 60,000.
The miner, identified as Tagor, passionately denied the allegations, stating, He claimed that his mining activities were confined to areas legally leased by him and maintained that the farmland in question remained untouched.
Illegal small-scale gold mining, locally called ‘galamsey’, has long been a thorn in Ghana’s agricultural heartlands. Numerous studies reveal its devastating environmental impacts:
In regions like Bekwai, illegal miners frequently collaborate with local landowners, sometimes with tacit traditional support, before turning cocoa and cassava farmland into mining sites.
He asserted that he operated only where he had explicit permission, whether via lease, community samples, or traditional chiefs.
Though the miner defends his actions, empirical data suggests a darker reality.
Studies show that artisanal mining sites often leave deep pits, sediment disruption, and barren soil, making post-mining rehabilitation hard .
The value “GHC 160,000” presumably reflects loss of crop yields, land productivity, and potential environmental fines, figures that align with broader reports of cocoa-cassava farm losses spanning several hectares in Ashanti-area communities.
The miner’s defense is consistent with a pattern where local galamsey operators claim legitimacy through community-sanctioned land access. Yet, this narrative often clashes with environmental and agricultural indicators that signal irreversible harm.
Whether or not the specific farmland worth GHC 160,000 was indeed destroyed remains unresolved; it will hinge on technical assessments, land records, and transparent adjudication. What is clear is that galamsey continues to be a profound threat to Ghana’s farmland, water bodies, and rural livelihoods, especially in cocoa-rich areas like Bekwai.
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