A lecturer in Security, Development and Leadership in Africa at the African Leadership Centre of the King’s College in the United Kingdom (U.K), Dr. Clement Sefa-Nyarko, has disclosed that Ghana’s small-scale mining’s sector may be indirectly sponsoring organised crime in the West Africa sub-region.
According to Dr. Sefa-Nyarko, some of Ghana’s gold are ending up in the hands of criminal gangs because the state does not have control over who buys the mineral and that there are evidences that Ghana’s gold is funding organised crime in the Sahel region.
“There is also an emerging strength of evidence that some of the proceeds of small-scale mining do not pass through the central government, but passes through the hands of non-state actors and criminal gangs.”
Dr. Sefa-Nyarko emphasised that unaccounted revenues from the sector are fuelling organised criminal activities in the region.
“Revenues from small scale to some extent contribute to organised criminal gang activities in the sub-region.
“Actually the government does not have control over who gets hold of the gold that is mined. That is why the new government is trying to regulate the sale of gold through what is called the GoldBod.
“But as it stands now, when the Small Scale Miners mine their gold, they decide what they want to do with it and often a lot them fall into the hands of organised criminal gangs and we know this could be terrorist goups like Boko Haram. They just need money for their black business,” he said.
He was speaking at a stakeholders’ forum in Kumasi which was organised by A ROCHA Ghana, in partnership with the King’s College London.
Dr. Sefa-Nyarko, who spoke on the topic: “Leadership In The Crisis of Small-Scale Mining”, said Ghana perceives small-scale mining or galamsey as a means for survival, but it has far-reaching consequences on the state.
Dr. Clement Sefa-Nyarko asked Ghanaians not to only pay attention to the environment, but should also think about the security challenges facing Ghana as a result of illegal mining.
The Deputy National Director of A ROCHA Ghana, Mr. Daryl Bosu, expressed concern over the decision that has been taken by the government, not to prosecute foreign illegal miners. According to Bosu, these expatriates are financing the destruction of our environment, yet they are asked to go scot free.
“To say that you are going to implement the law to favour foreigners who are really answerable, then as a country we are failing.”
