Rev. Dr. Opuni Frimpong Criticizes Policy to Deport Foreign Galamseyers Without Prosecution

 

The Executive Director of the Alliance for Christian Advocacy Africa, Rev. Dr. Kwabena Opuni Frimpong, has strongly criticized the government’s decision to deport foreign nationals involved in illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, without subjecting them to prosecution in Ghana.

Speaking in an interview on Adom FM’s morning show Dwaso Nsem, the former General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana described the policy as a “defeatist approach” that undermines the integrity of Ghana’s justice system and hampers efforts to effectively combat environmental degradation caused by illegal mining.

Rev. Opuni Frimpong questioned the fairness of the policy, stating, why should foreigners who come here to destroy our water bodies be sent back to their countries while Ghanaians who commit the same offence are thrown into prison?

The policy in question was initially announced by the Minister for the Interior, Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka, and later supported by the Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa. According to government sources, the decision was influenced by systemic challenges within Ghana’s judicial system, which reportedly made it difficult to secure convictions against foreign nationals. As a result, the government decided to deport them for possible prosecution in their home countries.

However, Rev. Opuni Frimpong has pushed back against this rationale, warning that the approach sends the wrong message to the international community and gives foreign offenders a “comfortable ride” at the expense of Ghana’s natural resources and legal sovereignty.

“This is not the kind of leadership we expect. If a Ghanaian breaks the law, they face the consequences here. Why should foreigners be treated differently? If they commit crimes on our soil, they should be prosecuted and imprisoned here, just like any Ghanaian,” he emphasized.

He further appealed directly to former President John Dramani Mahama, urging him to rescind the decision or publicly distance himself from the policy if it was made without his authorization.

I am calling on former President Mahama to rescind this decision. If he didn’t authorize it, he must come out and publicly reject it, he said.

Rev. Opuni Frimpong warned that failing to reverse the policy would significantly weaken national efforts to curb illegal mining and discourage those genuinely fighting to protect the environment. He also called on members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to advise their leadership, stressing that patriotism must guide all decisions, especially when the country’s future is at stake.

The comments have reignited national debate over how Ghana handles foreign involvement in illegal mining activities, as environmental concerns continue to rise due to the destruction of forests and water bodies.