The President of the Concerned Small-Scale Miners Association, Michael Kwadwo Peprah, has raised serious concerns over the rising issue of illegal mining, also known as galamsey, which he believes is primarily driven by the high levels of youth unemployment in Ghana.
In an interview on the Joy News AM Show, Mr. Peprah explained that many young people, faced with limited job opportunities, have turned to galamsey as a means of survival.
“People cannot sleep,” he said, emphasizing that when individuals are unemployed, they cannot simply sit and starve. “You expect them to die of hunger? That’s the root cause of the galamsey problem we face today.”
He further noted that for many young people, galamsey offers an opportunity to earn a living in the absence of other job prospects. “A lot of these youths, when they wake up, they have nothing to do. If they are not gainfully employed and they see that they can use a pickaxe to earn 50 to 100 cedis a day, they will do it, even if it means risking their lives.”
Mr. Peprah believes this lack of employment is a key factor driving the persistent spread of galamsey in the country.
He also highlighted that using force to tackle illegal mining is not a sustainable long-term solution. “When the military is brought in, they may come in the afternoon, but the miners will continue working in the evening because they need to survive,” he stated. “It’s not about defiance, it’s about survival.”
To effectively address the galamsey issue, Mr. Peprah emphasized that the government must first tackle the root cause—youth unemployment. “When we understand this, we can start bringing real solutions,” he said. “But in this country, we often avoid addressing the real problems. Instead, we just sit back and react with panic when issues arise.”
Mr. Peprah called for a more comprehensive approach to solving the galamsey crisis, focusing not only on halting illegal mining but also on creating sustainable job opportunities for the youth. “We need to focus on long-term solutions, not just temporary fixes,” he said, urging the government and other stakeholders to collaborate in tackling youth unemployment.
