John Dramani Mahama has signalled a major shift in government strategy against illegal mining, declaring that his administration will now focus on dismantling the powerful financiers and masterminds behind galamsey rather than only arresting low-level operators.

Addressing Parliament during his State of the Nation Address (SoNA) on Friday, the President described illegal mining as a serious national emergency, warning that the practice continues to damage forests, pollute water bodies, threaten public health and undermine national security.

While acknowledging that arrests and prosecutions have increased in recent years, Mahama said past enforcement efforts have largely targeted small-scale offenders, leaving the main sponsors of the trade untouched.

He stressed that those who bankroll and coordinate the operations must now be held accountable.

To back the new approach, the government has deployed specialised prosecutorial teams to speed up investigations and court processes.

The teams are expected to strengthen evidence gathering, fast-track cases and pursue the seizure and forfeiture of machinery, assets and profits linked to illegal mining.

The President also disclosed that about 140 communities, particularly towns and villages, remain highly vulnerable to galamsey activity, underscoring the scale of the challenge.

With the renewed focus on the “big fish,” the administration says it intends to break the financial networks that sustain the illegal trade and restore environmental safety in affected areas.