Professor Charles Marfo, Provost of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), recently discussed the persistent problem of illegal mining, or galamsey, in Ghana.During an interview on Bresosem at AbusuaFM, he attributed the ongoing issue to a failure of leadership and proposed extreme measures, including a "shoot and kill" approach, to combat the crisis.“I heard a member of Parliament saying it is time we should shoot to kill. I agree with him we should begin to look at that considering how they’ve destroyed especially Konongo Township to the extent that they’re mining on the roadside.

“What galamseyers (illegal miners) have done to us is like a lion threatening to devour our child, and we shooting to prevent it. The harm caused by galamseyers is worse than a lion attacking our child; we should begin to shoot and kill.”Prof. Marfo expressed his frustration with the severe environmental damage and the undermining of public welfare caused by illegal miners.He likened the destruction to a grave threat, suggesting that drastic actions are necessary to protect the environment and the lives affected by galamsey.“They are no longer human beings; they’re animalistic. There is a say we are all animalistic, but when you allow that instinct to override your sense of humanity, you become like an animal.“The fact that people keep engaging in illegal mining is a clear indication of leadership failure. We are doing the best we can in terms of communicating to the people about the effects of galamsey, but are we doing the right thing as a Nation? The answer is no because leadership does not care.

“If leadership cared about this galamsey, when an election is approaching the energy they used to engage the public to let them know there’s election ahead so they should all prepare to vote and crown them, they should use that same energy to talk about galamsey matters”.

He further criticized political leaders for their lack of commitment to tackling the issue, pointing out that anti-galamsey measures are seldom featured in their election campaigns or manifestos. Prof. Marfo argued that the same level of energy used in electioneering should be applied to combat illegal mining.“Haven’t you heard about the nonsense they talk about in their campaign platforms? Have you seen anywhere in their manifestos that they will end galamsey?

“I don’t see them (the govt) fighting it because if you look at their manifestos there’s nowhere that talks about how to fight galamsey. What I see is an attempt to streamline it, to do it better. Is there a better way of exploiting nature”, he quizzes.Prof. Marfo called for military intervention to address the galamsey problem, emphasizing that the destruction wrought by illegal mining is tantamount to an assault on the nation.“Galamsey is going on. Haven’t our leaders seen it? Those who are destroying our life, our water bodies with mercury- is such a person, not a murderer?He compared the situation to a self-inflicted war and expressed concern over the long-term impact on Ghana's environment and public health.In his view, the ongoing destruction caused by illegal mining is so severe that it may lead to divine retribution, reflecting a broader issue of negligence and mismanagement.‘We know that galamsey is out to destroy the lives of humans.“So if people say God will not destroy the world, but we will destroy it sometimes I am tempted to believe it. He said God has created this beautiful world, it would be insane on His part to say it’s judgment day and destroy everything He created. But with this our foolishness in destroying everything, He will take His part. I think that’s how it’s going to be. I am not a prophet but I can see the damage we’re doing to ourselves.”