ACCRA, Sept 16 (The African Portal) – Ghana’s Acting Chief Justice, Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, has called for urgent action to end illegal mining, warning that the country can no longer afford to delay in addressing the menace.
Speaking at the 2025 annual Bar Conference of the Ghana Bar Association in Wa, Upper West Region, on Monday, September 15, Justice Baffoe-Bonnie stressed that illegal mining, known locally as galamsey, is wreaking devastating havoc on the nation’s environment, particularly its water bodies and forest reserves.
“We cannot continue to dither in September 2025 on the repeal of L.I. 2462 that has permitted mining in forest reserves. It is a good place to start, if we sincerely want to win the war against galamsey [illegal mining]. The time to act is now without any further delay,” he said.
The Acting Chief Justice’s remarks were delivered on his behalf by Justice Hafisata Amaleboba of the Supreme Court.
Justice Baffoe-Bonnie noted that the consequences of illegal mining are far-reaching, citing widespread pollution of rivers, destruction of forests and farmlands, and the displacement of local communities.
He cautioned that the actions of a few individuals engaged in illegal mining were holding the country’s future to ransom.
“For him, Ghana every action must be taken to kill the menace, expressing concern about how some few individuals are taking the future of the country into ransom. “And we cannot pretend not to know them in order to bring them to justice,” the Acting Chief Justice noted.
He further urged political leaders to demonstrate courage in tackling the practice. “Considering the unspeakable death, pain, and destruction that galamsey has brought to this country, I urge political leadership to take bold and far-reaching measures to bring this menace to a long overdue end,” he said.
If we sincerely want to win war against galamsey, time to act is now without any further delay – Acting Chief Justice Baffoe-Bonnie to President Mahama. Justice Hafisata Amaleboba of Supreme Court read his speech https://t.co/lVQCRpbPv2 pic.twitter.com/Tr7xEitiVX
— DailyGraphic GraphicOnline (@Graphicgh) September 16, 2025
