Haruna Iddrisu is urging the Judiciary of Ghana to impose firm and deterrent punishments, including custodial sentences, on any public official and politician found guilty of engaging in illegal mining (galamsey).
The Education Minister emphasised that punishment should be strong enough to deter others if the courts find solid evidence of wrongdoing.
He said that the fight against galamsey cannot be won by the Executive alone, the judiciary must be involved to play an active and crucial role by acting decisively in cases involving powerful individuals.
The remarks were made during the Annual Chief Justice Mentoring Programme held at the forecourt of the Supreme Court in Accra, which focuses on “Advocating Greener Sustainable Justice: The Environment and Justice.”
The event brought together students and youth groups, underscoring the connection between environmental protection and the justice system.
Mr. Iddrisu stressed that galamsey is destroying water bodies and harming key sectors like agriculture and cocoa production — framing environmental protection as both a moral and legal duty.
The government is also strengthening anti-galamsey actions with specialized courts and taskforces such as the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations (NAIMOS) to handle related cases more effectively.
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