Award-winning investigative journalist Erastus Asare Donkor has reopened a sensitive debate about who really stands behind illegal mining in Manso Tontokrom. In his view, the galamsey operators there are not acting alone. He suggests that influential figures are shielding them, and that this protection is what gives some miners the nerve to stand up to soldiers sent to shut down their operations.
Erastus made his case in a Facebook post, arguing that galamsey in Manso Tontokrom is deeply rooted and enjoys political support. According to him, that backing is the reason miners are willing to face down armed soldiers.
“There’s a lot of political backing for the deep-seated Galamsey in Manso Tontokrom. That’s why miners will dare soldiers,” he wrote.
The remark has put a spotlight back on the stubborn obstacles confronting Ghana’s campaign against illegal small-scale mining, widely known as galamsey.
If Erastus’ reading is right, the implications are serious. His comments raise pointed questions about how much sway politically connected individuals hold in communities where illegal mining carries on despite repeated government interventions.
The journalist’s point is that the boldness shown toward security personnel may signal something bigger than ordinary defiance of the law. Miners who feel untouchable behave differently from those who fear consequences, and that confidence, he implies, has to come from somewhere.
It is worth noting that his post named no individuals or political actors. Even so, the concerns he has voiced strengthen the argument for a thorough, credible investigation into whether political interference is undermining anti-galamsey operations on the ground.
Erastus also commented on how the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) handled the situation, suggesting the body showed considerable restraint.
“NAIMOS indeed restrained itself. That jinx must be broken!!” he added.
Read in context, the statement looks like a plea for a tougher and more decisive posture towards the networks that keep operating even after security forces move in.
His intervention comes at a time when Ghanaians remain deeply worried about the toll of illegal mining: forest reserves being stripped, rivers and streams polluted, and regulations proving hard to enforce in areas where galamsey has become part of the local landscape.
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The investigative journalist’s words have revived a question many have been asking for some time: can Ghana truly win the fight against galamsey without confronting the powerful interests said to profit from it?
For many observers, the answer lies beyond arresting excavator operators and the labourers found at mining pits. The harder task is tracing the financiers and sponsors who bankroll the trade, along with anyone leveraging political influence to frustrate law enforcement.
Ultimately, the credibility of the anti-galamsey campaign will rest on whether authorities can apply the law evenly, no matter who is involved or how well connected they are.
As his comments imply, the battle against illegal mining will likely stay uphill until the alleged networks protecting it are investigated and made to answer for their actions.