Investigative journalist Erastus Asare Donkor has identified political interference as the biggest obstacle to Ghana's fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.

Speaking at CDD-Ghana's 20th Kronti ne Akwamu Lecture, Asare Donkor stressed that political actors and some traditional authorities continue to shield financiers of the destructive activity, making it difficult for law enforcement to act decisively.

"The problem is not the miner in the pit. It is the leader looking away.

Our greatest enemy is not technology. It is inconsistency, political interference, and lack of accountability," he noted.

Asare Donkor urged President John Dramani Mahama to caution his appointees and party officials against meddling in anti-galamsey operations, highlighting the severe environmental and health consequences of galamsey, including contaminated rivers, degraded forest reserves, and findings of heavy metals in water and food sources.

He criticised weak enforcement and the lack of accountability among some Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) who allow illegal miners to operate with impunity.

To address the issue, Asare Donkor called for strict monitoring of excavators, declaring water bodies as security zones, resourcing law enforcement, fixing the licensing regime, and providing alternative livelihoods for mining communities.

The lecture, themed "Galamsey: A Country's Search for a Solution in Plain Sight," brought together politicians, diplomats, academics, and civil society actors to discuss Ghana's governance and development challenges.

The Kronti ne Akwamu Lecture is CDD-Ghana's flagship annual public forum on democracy and good governance, aimed at bridging research, reflection, and public interest advocacy.