Sir Justice Dennis Dominic Adjei has called for both illegal miners and their powerful financiers to be held criminally accountable, warning that the destruction of Ghana’s natural resources threatens the country’s future.
He made the call while delivering the keynote address at the inaugural St. John the Baptist Memorial Lecture, organised by the Supreme Subordinate Commandery of the Knights of St. John International and Ladies’ Auxiliary (KSJI), Ghana.
The lecture was held on October 13, 2026, at Christ the King Parish Hall in Cantonments, Accra, on the theme “Speaking Truth to Power: Upholding Justice, Morality & National Accountability.”
Sir Justice Adjei, a Justice of the Supreme Court of Ghana and Judge of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights in Arusha, Tanzania, questioned why Ghana’s gold wealth continued to come at such a high environmental cost, with illegal mining threatening water bodies, cocoa farms, and forests.
He observed that although Ghana is among the world’s leading gold producers, the environmental consequences of illegal mining raise serious questions about how the country manages its natural resources and enforces its laws.
Sir Justice Adjei argued that illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, cannot be addressed by focusing only on individuals at mining sites while overlooking the powerful interests financing and sustaining the activities.
He noted that the menace is often fuelled by powerful political and economic interests, making transparency and accountability essential.
“True engagement with power requires us to demand sweeping transparency in asset ownership, tracking illicit financial flows, and holding both the local executors and their placed financiers criminally accountable under our mining and anti-corruption laws,” he stated.
To strengthen the fight against illegal mining, he called for strategic public interest litigation to compel regulatory institutions, including the Minerals Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency, to perform their statutory duties.
He maintained that when administrative inaction or regulatory failures allow environmental destruction to continue, courts should enforce constitutional rights and ensure relevant institutions fulfil their responsibilities.
He also advocated greater transparency in financial transactions linked to illegal mining, alongside stronger community participation in environmental protection.
According to him, traditional rulers, local assemblies and community watch networks should be empowered to play a more active role in protecting natural resources and holding perpetrators accountable.
Sir Justice Adjei acknowledged that speaking out against galamsey and the interests behind it could attract economic pressure, political silencing and social discomfort. He maintained, however, that these risks should not deter individuals and institutions from demanding accountability.
“If we do not speak up and act decisively now, there will be no land left to govern, no water left to drink, and no future left to defend,” he warned.
The public lecture was instituted in honour of St. John the Baptist, patron saint of KSJI, to promote truth, justice and accountability in public life.
The event brought together leaders and members of KSJI from Ghana, Nigeria, Liberia and Togo, representatives of the Knights and Ladies of Marshall, members of the Islamic community, officers of the Ghana Armed Forces, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra, Most Rev. John Bonaventure Kwofie, the Auxiliary Bishop of Accra, Most Rev. Anthony Narh Asare, and a representative of the Ga Mantse.
By Celestine Edem Gbologah//Newswatchgh.com
