The Minority in Parliament has revealed that at least 17 people lost their lives between January and July 2025 as a result of illegal mining activities, popularly known as galamsey.

The caucus blamed the tragic incidents on weak law enforcement and what it described as a lack of political will by the government to tackle the menace, which continues to claim lives and destroy the environment.

Delivering a statement on the floor of Parliament on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, the Deputy Ranking Member on the Lands and Natural Resources Committee, Akwasi Konadu, called for urgent and decisive measures to curb the growing threat of illegal mining and its associated human and environmental toll.

“From January to July 2025, Ghana recorded at least 17 deaths linked directly to galamsey activities. These are not mere statistics; these are Ghanaian lives — breadwinners, mothers, sons, and daughters lost to the reckless pursuit of unregulated mineral wealth,” Mr. Konadu said.

He lamented that despite numerous warnings, the government had failed to implement effective interventions to prevent such tragedies.

“Mr. Speaker, how many lives must be lost before an urgent, decisive action is taken? The prevalence of death and environmental collapse is a direct consequence of ineffective law enforcement, the lack of political will, and, in some instances, the complicity of some state actors and traditional authorities,” he added.

The Minority urged the government to intensify enforcement efforts, prosecute offenders, and demonstrate genuine commitment to ending the destructive practice that continues to threaten communities, water bodies, and livelihoods across the country.