Dr. Frank Boateng, a lecturer at the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), has urged the government to rely on and strengthen existing state institutions in the fight against illegal mining, rather than creating new structures.
Delivering his inaugural Imani Fellowship Lecture on the theme “Demystifying the Illegal Mining Conundrum with Existing State Structures”, Dr. Boateng said agencies such as the Minerals Commission already have the legal powers and technical capacity to curb the galamsey menace, but need more resources, independence, and political support to act effectively.
He argued that taxpayers already fund these institutions, so the focus should be on equipping and empowering them to deliver results.
Dr. Boateng noted that Ghana has underinvested in geological surveys, leaving small-scale miners without accessible, reliable data. He recommended increased funding for geological investigations, with the results made available through district Minerals Commission offices to support legal small-scale mining.
While many mining districts have Minerals Commission offices, he said their coverage must be extended to underserved zones, and small-scale mining desks should be empowered to enforce the law without fear of political repercussions.
He recommended using drones to track mining activities, pointing out that UMaT already trains professionals in drone operations who can be deployed for monitoring and compliance checks.Dr. Boateng criticised the current centralised licensing process, saying miners should not be required to travel to Accra. He proposed that regional capitals be the farthest point for processing licenses to encourage compliance.
He called for reform of the committees to include judiciary and police representatives, as well as the National Small Scale Miners Association, to bolster enforcement capacity.
Citing Section 100 of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), Dr. Boateng emphasised that the Minerals Commission has significant advisory powers over the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources and should be allowed to act independently of political interference.“Sometimes I even ask myself, can’t we solve this problem without the politicians? The Commission, which is paid by taxpayers’ money, has all the powers to do this,” he stated.
Dr. Boateng concluded that Ghana does not need to “reinvent the wheel” in its anti-galamsey efforts, but must let empowered, well-resourced state agencies enforce the law without fear or favour.
