Galamsey fight: Arthur Kennedy advises dealing with the "big people" at the top of the chain

Dr. Arthur Kennedy has advocated for more robust measures to galamsey in Ghana by focusing on the influential individuals who oversee these activities. He attacked the government's strategy in an interview on JoyNews' Newsfile, arguing that the present policies place too much emphasis on cosmetic fixes rather than tackling the underlying issue.

He maintained that many of the illicit miners, who frequently use unlicensed equipment like changfangs in bodies of water, are just instruments in the hands of powerful people and that they ought to be arrested when caught.

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“Let’s find the big people who are funding them, and most of the big people are party leaders, Members of Parliament, and other things,” he said. He also expressed reservations about the political will of any political party to solve the issue and asked whether a change of leadership would significantly advance the cause.

Dr. Kennedy warned that the National Democratic Congress (NDC), which would take the place of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the event that Galamsey did not face severe consequences, may also support the practice for political reasons, which would prolong the problem for many generations.

He concluded that the Galamsey crisis requires "extraordinary measures" beyond the government's current strategy, which includes sending armed forces to illegal mining locations.