Despite stern legal interventions, security crackdowns, and the high-profile conviction of prominent political figures, illegal mining operations continue to pollute vital water bodies and degrade forest reserves across the nation.

The persistent reality of galamsey took center stage on November 2, 2026, when renowned media personality and host of Peace FM’s Kokrokoo, Kwami Sefa Kayi, directly challenged political leaders on the tangible impact of state anti-galamsey measures.

During an interview with Abdulai Sakara, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Chairman for the Krowor Constituency, Sefa Kayi openly questioned why illegal mining activities have not ceased despite government promises to prosecute key perpetrators.

Highlighting the imprisonment of Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi and former Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Sefa Kayi asked:

But how come that after arresting Wontumi and jailing him, galamsey hasn't stopped?.

Chairman Wontumi was sentenced by an Accra High Court in July 2026 to 20 years’ imprisonment for mining offenses related to Akonta Mining Company Limited on its concession at Samreboi in the Western Region.

Following his conviction, Wontumi filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal on July 28, 2026, while remaining in custody at the Nsawam Medium Security Prison.

While Sakara asserted that the NDC administration remains resolute in tackling illegal mining without showing leniency to any masterminds, concerns regarding bipartisan involvement in galamsey have continued to surface.

During the discussion, Sefa Kayi pointed to reports implicating high-ranking NDC officials, specifically NDC National Organiser Joseph Yammin and Alhassan Yakubu Abanga, the party's Third National Vice Chairman.

These allegations followed a directive from President John Dramani Mahama ordering investigations into suspected galamsey activities involving NDC figures.

Responding to the inquiry, Sakara explained that investigative reports are currently being compiled as probes remain active.

The persistence of galamsey following Wontumi's conviction underlines that removing single high-profile individuals has yet to break the complex socio-economic and logistical networks that keep illegal mining afloat across Ghana's mining regions.

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The continued prevalence of galamsey demonstrates that ending illegal mining in Ghana requires far more than isolated legal actions against prominent political figures.

Although the sentencing of Chairman Wontumi set a notable legal precedent, stopping the destruction of water bodies and forests requires sustained, transparent, and non-partisan enforcement across the political spectrum.

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