Dr. Cadman Atta Mills, brother of the late President John Evans Atta Mills, has urged government authorities to revoke all small-scale mining licences granted without proper environmental assessments or mitigation plans.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Dr. Mills argued that what is currently taking place under the guise of small-scale mining—or galamsey—has evolved into a state-enabled destruction of the environment.
“What is happening in Ghana today and playing havoc with the environment is not ‘galamsey’ as traditionally known but legalised, organised rape of the environment with equipment (escalators, water pumps, chaftans, etc.) that is totally out of the reach of the traditional galamseyers,” he wrote.
He explained that the term galamsey originally referred to small artisanal miners using basic tools to pan for gold, but has since been wrongly applied to large-scale operations owned by politically connected individuals using sophisticated machinery.
According to Dr. Mills, many operators have obtained mining licences without fulfilling core legal obligations such as submitting environmental assessments, development plans, or evidence of viable mineral deposits.
“It stands to reason, therefore, that all licences for small-scale mining without an environmental assessment and mitigation plans must be revoked,” he declared.
GALAMSEY IS NOT THE PROBLEM. LEGALIZED SMALL SCALE MINING IS THE CULPRIT.
The Minister of Government Communications has presented the most coherent and accurate tracing of the evolution of destructive “small-scale mining” in Ghana yet. “Galamsey” or informal gold panning has…
— Cadman Atta Mills (@CadmanAttaMills) October 12, 2025
His remarks echo growing public concern over the environmental toll of illegal and unregulated mining, which continues to pollute rivers, destroy farmlands, and degrade forest reserves despite repeated government crackdowns.
Dr. Mills’s statement reinforces calls for stronger environmental governance and for clear distinctions between traditional artisanal mining and heavily mechanised operations operating under legal loopholes.
Source: Adomonline
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