The devastating spread of illegal mining (galamsey) has been fundamentally redefined by religious and health experts, who argue the crisis is not merely an economic problem but a profound moral and spiritual failing that is simultaneously fuelling a public health disaster.
The stern assessment emerged from a virtual environmental conference themed Navigating the Challenges of Illegal Mining in Ghana: Impact on Individuals, Communities, Health and Policy, organised by IGER Africa on Friday, December 5, 2025.
The Moral & Spiritual Betrayal
Reverend Professor Paul Frimpong-Manso, former President of the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC) and Founder of the Frimpong-Manso Institute, asserted that the destruction of natural resources for personal gain constitutes a sin and a violation of divine command.
He stressed that destroying creation—specifically rivers and forests—for selfish gain violates the fundamental command to “till and keep” the earth.
“Ghana must embrace ethical leadership, community responsibility, and spiritual renewal,” the Professor emphasized.
He highlighted the failure of moral custodians to uphold national values:
“The desire to get rich quickly with minimal effort has taken deep root in the hearts of many. Young people see images of overnight wealth and are tempted to risk their lives in abandoned pits and polluted rivers.”
Professor Frimpong-Manso condemned the complicity of those in power, noting that many who should be custodians of values have become “beneficiaries of this greed, taking bribes, granting illegal concessions or turning a blind eye to the wrongdoing.”
The Erosion of Integrity
The Professor traced the roots of the crisis to unchecked greed and selective application of the law, which sends a destructive message to society:
“When political actors protect illegal miners, when the law is selectively applied, when those who are supposed to enforce regulation become complicit, the message is loud and clear: wrongdoing is acceptable. So long as it benefits the powerful over time, it erodes trust.”
While acknowledging that poverty in rural areas makes young people vulnerable to the lure of quick cash over uncertain farming income, he insisted that the fight against galamsey requires a cultural shift starting at the basic societal unit.
“Government alone cannot solve the galamsey crisis; communities must rise up as ethical citizens and responsible citizens of their environment. Parents and guardians have a crucial role. What values are we teaching our children?”
He argued that if children grow up hearing parents praise success achieved through dubious means, they will follow that path. The core message is clear: the campaign against galamsey “Must start from the pulpit, classroom, and family altar.”
“The earth is the Lord’s. We must give an account for how we treated the land.”
Health Catastrophe: Mercury Levels 50 Times Safe Limit
Adding a critical layer of urgency to the moral crisis, Dr. Charles Sagoe-Moses, a Former WHO Representative in Tanzania and Namibia and a Fellow at the Frimpong-Manso Institute of Ghana, declared that Ghana is confronting an entirely preventable public health disaster driven by illegal mining.
Dr. Sagoe-Moses presented alarming data concerning mercury contamination:
- Scientific Evidence: Scientific evidence confirms that mercury, used heavily in artisanal gold processing, contaminates air, soil, and water.
- Extreme Contamination: WHO reports reveal that artisanal gold mining sites exhibit mercury levels up to 50 times higher than the safe threshold.
- Local Data: Studies in some Ghanaian mining areas have found mercury contamination in water bodies to be 20 to 30 times above the WHO threshold.
Generational Tragedy
The health consequences, according to Dr. Sagoe-Moses, are chronic and generational:
- Adult Health: Exposure to toxic metals, especially mercury and arsenic, leads to chronic kidney diseases, causing kidney failure in young adults and high rates of hypertension. Direct mercury poisoning causes memory loss, tremors, kidney failure, severe fatigue, and muscle weakness.
- Children and Foetal Health: The tragedy is compounded for pregnant women and children. Mercury crosses the placenta during pregnancy and contaminates breast milk. As a result, babies face the risk of reduced brain development and cerebral palsy, and children develop learning difficulties, performing poorly in schools.
The forum concluded that without a unified approach addressing the core moral vacuum, the devastating economic and health toll of galamsey—measured in contaminated water, destroyed land, and long-term neurological damage—will continue to escalate.