In light of recent calls to end illegal mining in Ghana, the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference have recognized the desperation that drives many into illegal mining and have urged the government to offer sustainable alternatives while serving justice.
In a statement released on September 15, 2025 and signed by the Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, Bishop of Sunyani and President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, the Bishops’ Conference suggested sustainable ways to reclaim lands and provide sustainable jobs for the youth.
The statement read, “Those driven to galamsey by desperation must be offered sustainable alternatives. Properly regulated small-scale mining zones could be created, fortified with environmental safeguards and technical support. Displaced farmers should be restored with land, credit, and training.”
In the statement, they noted that illegal mining had led to an increase in environmental pollution, stating that “It ravages our rivers and forests, poisons our soil, endangers public health, corrupts governance, erodes our moral fibre, and extinguishes livelihoods.”
The Bishops’ Conference also added that harmful chemicals used in mining in forest reserves has affected farming, noting that, “Farmers can no longer trust the land to sustain their families, and our capacity to feed the nation diminishes.”
The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference have therefore called on the government and stakeholders to launch a nationwide afforestation and reclamation program “not only to heal the scars of destruction but also to provide dignified employment, especially for the youth.”
In addition, they have appealed to President Mahama to demonstrate courage in leadership stating, “His government must prosecute not only the poor but also the powerful; not only the weak but also the well-connected. Without courage, no policy will stand, no law will hold, no declaration will succeed.”
In their call to action for all Ghanaians, they urged resistance against the lure of quick wealth that threatens the future of the nation’s children.
They also added, “To chiefs: remember your sacred responsibility as custodians of the land. To politicians: place Ghana above personal and partisan advantage. To religious leaders: speak prophetically without fear or favour. To our security agencies: act with integrity, be defenders of the people, not accomplices in their betrayal.”
By: Veronica Amenya
