By: Kenneth Appiah Bani
The Eastern Regional Minister, Hon. Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey, has given all Municipal and District Chief Executives (MDCEs) across the region a two-week deadline to compile detailed profiles of all miners and their financiers operating within their jurisdictions.
This directive is part of an intensified regional crackdown on illegal mining, widely known as galamsey, which continues to devastate farmlands, forests, and water bodies in several parts of the region.
According to Minister Awatey, the move is a key step toward dismantling the complex web of individuals and financiers driving the illegal mining economy. She noted that while small-scale miners are often the visible faces of the trade, the true enablers are those who fund and protect their operations behind the scenes.
“We cannot win the fight against galamsey if we continue to ignore those who provide the money, the machines, and the political cover for these destructive activities,” she stated. “By identifying and profiling these financiers, we can target the roots of the problem rather than just its symptoms.”
The profiling exercise is expected to capture detailed information on miners’ identities, locations, types of operations, and their sources of funding. MDCEs are required to collaborate with local security agencies, traditional authorities, and community leaders to ensure accuracy and accountability in the process.
The directive, Minister Awatey explained, forms part of a broader regional strategy to restore degraded lands, protect critical water sources, and strengthen environmental governance. The Eastern Region, particularly the Akyem and Atiwa enclaves, has been among the hardest hit by illegal mining, with rivers like Birim and Densu facing severe pollution.
She also warned that any MDCE found to be complicit or negligent in enforcing the directive would face disciplinary action.
Environmental activists and local residents have welcomed the move, describing it as a “bold and necessary step” to expose the hidden interests sustaining galamsey networks.
With the two-week ultimatum now in effect, attention will turn to how effectively the directive is enforced and whether it will finally bring accountability to those who have long operated beyond the reach of the law.
