Tackling galamsey requires jobs, not just Soldiers – Adutwum

Presidential hopeful Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum believes the fight against illegal mining in Ghana, known locally as galamsey, must go beyond military action. For him, creating job opportunities is the true long-term solution.

Speaking in an interview, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer aspirant explained that many of the young people involved in galamsey turn to it out of economic desperation.

He pointed to high youth unemployment and limited access to education as key drivers.

“If we don’t deal with the root cause, we will always prescribe wrong solutions. The root cause is unemployment,” he said.

According to Dr Adutwum, a significant number of young people in mining areas drop out of school after junior high.

Without options for senior high school, technical training, or vocational paths, many find themselves drawn to the illegal mining sector.

He proposed setting up counselling centres to guide at-risk youth and introduce them to viable career paths. In addition, he called for the expansion of blue-collar jobs and specific interventions targeted at mining communities.

Dr Adutwum, who also serves as Ghana’s Education Minister, argued that military deployment alone does not offer a sustainable fix.

While acknowledging the need for security in some areas, he stressed the importance of giving young people better options.

“Ending galamsey is not just about deploying the military. There has to be a conscious effort to take the youth out of the galamsey pipeline,” he said.