Professor Nana Ama Browne Klutse: All I need is five helicopters a couple of guns
The Chief Executive Officer of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Professor Nana Ama Browne Klutse, has made a bold statement in the national fight against illegal mining, commonly referred to as galamsey. In her view, the time has come for Ghana to treat the menace as a war and deploy the necessary resources to win it.
Speaking in an interview covered by UTV monitored by mrwoode.com, the EPA boss declared that she could eliminate illegal miners polluting the nation’s water bodies within just two weeks if given the right tools. All I need is five helicopters a couple of guns and just two weeks to eliminate all those polluting our water bodies, she said.
Prof. Klutse lamented that while galamsey operators are heavily armed and operate with impunity on river bodies and forest reserves, EPA officials and personnel from the Forestry Commission are left unarmed, making enforcement extremely difficult.
Galamsey has been declared as a war. So, why are we not approaching it as a war? EPA needs resources to go to the war front… Anytime we go for an operation, we have to go along with the military and National Security which is expensive. How many times can we afford to pay them to go out with us?” she asked.
She further emphasized that over 90% of Ghana’s water bodies have been contaminated and stressed that a comprehensive national plan is urgently needed to reverse the environmental damage.
The Ghana Police Service, in collaboration with other agencies, has intensified operations against illegal mining across the country. A total of 49 individuals have been arrested for engaging in galamsey activities in various parts of the country.
The coordinated arrests were made in key mining regions including:
• Western Region: Huniso, Wassa-Dadieso, Wassa-Gyapa
• Ashanti Region: Akrokerri
• Central Region: Dunkwa-On-Offin and Diaso
• Eastern Region: Awin River (Pankese and Akyem Akwadum)
These efforts mark a renewed commitment to law enforcement in the battle against illegal mining, which has caused severe environmental degradation and poses a threat to public health and national water security.
President Mahama: Support for Small-Scale Miners and New Excavator Policy
Speaking at the Global Mining Summit in Accra on Monday, June 2, President John Dramani Mahama echoed the need for robust action but drew a line between illegal operators and responsible artisanal miners.
“Let me be clear at this juncture: artisanal miners are not enemies of the state. If properly trained and supported, they can be allies in our development,” the President stated.
He also revealed that the government has successfully removed illegal miners from eight out of nine forest reserves that were previously designated as no-go zones.
President Mahama announced a new permitting system for importing excavators, aimed at controlling their use and limiting their deployment in unauthorized mining operations.
“Ghana currently has more excavators than the rest of Africa combined. The new permitting regime will not allow you to import any excavator unless you have a valid permit to do so,” he warned.
Also speaking at the summit, the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, emphasized the urgent need for consistent and decisive action to end illegal mining.
The pollution of our water bodies, the destruction of our forests, and the degradation of our virgin lands cannot be allowed to continue unchecked,” he said.
The Asantehene pointed to systemic regulatory failures, political inaction, and corruption as key factors complicating efforts to resolve the crisis.
He expressed optimism about the emergence of the Goldbod initiative, which he described as a timely and innovative strategy to increase investment and productivity in the legal mining sector.
It injects a new urgency to the challenges we are trying to address,” he added.
The combined voices of Ghana’s environmental, political, and traditional leaders reflect a growing consensus: the fight against galamsey must be intensified and treated with the seriousness it demands. Whether through armed intervention, improved regulations, or industry innovation, the time for bold action is now before Ghana’s natural resources are lost beyond recovery.