Sophia Akuffo demands total halt to mining over worsening pollution

Former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo has called for an immediate suspension of all forms of mining in Ghana, warning that the country is destroying its water bodies and poisoning its people.

Speaking on Point of View on Channel One TV on November 5, she said the galamsey crisis has persisted for years because of political interference and national complacency.

“Galamsey didn’t become intractable in 2025; it became intractable long ago. And we have been playing games around it, dancing around it, and now it has become a political issue,” she stated.

Justice Akuffo, who currently serves on the Council of State, lamented that the menace has bred what she described as “many thieves” profiting from the destruction of natural resources.

“It has grown so many thieves that it is killing and poisoning everybody,” she said.

Justice Akuffo described the current situation as a national embarrassment and urged Ghanaians to take collective responsibility in protecting the country’s rivers, farmlands, and food sources.

“It’s about time Ghanaians woke up and stopped being childish. We cannot continue to pollute our waters and our lands. A gift from God, we have used it to poison ourselves; that is wrong,” she stressed.

She said a moratorium should be placed on every form of mining, whether legal, illegal, small-scale, or large-scale, until the government brings order and accountability into the sector.

“I believe there should be a moratorium on every form of mining, whether legal or illegal, small-scale or galamsey, until we sort ourselves out. This quest to mine our resources has gone out of hand. Let’s call for a pause,” she urged.

Her comments followed a violent incident at Hwidiem in the Ahafo Region on November 1, where officials from the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat were attacked by a mob during an operation.

Police reported that the team was assaulted after arresting illegal miners near Bronikrom and seizing unregistered vehicles, weapons, and mobile phones. The MP for Asutifi North, Ebenezer Kwaku Addo, is alleged to have intervened, demanding the release of the suspects.

The lawmaker is now facing police investigations over the matter, although he has strongly denied any wrongdoing.