Reclamation efforts are currently underway at the Mpatasia Yaw Nkwanta illegal mining site in the Atwima Mponua District of the Ashanti Region, following the deaths of four illegal miners within the past four months. Two of these miners died on April 1, 2025, and their deaths, along with the recent fatalities of two others under similar circumstances, have raised serious concerns. In response, the Regional National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) directed the district office to urgently cover the open pit.
When the news team visited the site on April 10, 2025, work had already begun to restore the land for agricultural use. The deceased individuals were identified as Kwame Charles and a man known only as Ben. Their bodies were recovered through the combined efforts of community members, police, and other security agencies.
Salifu Karim, the Assembly Member for Mpatasia Ahenbronum, explained that the decision to fill and reclaim the galamsey site was aimed at preventing further mining activities in the area. “We have all agreed to fill the pit so that no one else will go there and lose their life,” he stated.
Hajj Mohammed Nasir Ibrahim, the acting Regional Director of NADMO, who visited the site with his team, noted that although part of the site had been covered, further work is required to complete the reclamation process. He emphasized that the entire area must be filled to prevent illegal miners from returning. Hajj Ibrahim also revealed that NADMO is collaborating closely with the district police to enforce round-the-clock patrols at the site. “We believe these illegal miners operate based on intelligence. So once they know that the police are patrolling the area, anyone caught will face serious consequences,” he warned.
The ongoing issue of illegal mining continues to claim many lives, particularly among young men across the country, leading to growing public concern. Many Ghanaians are questioning the effectiveness of current strategies to combat the problem and are calling for more decisive and sustained efforts to end the dangerous activities of galamsey operators.
A 2021 analysis of artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASM) accidents and fatalities in Ghana, based on 22 media reports, identified 36 accidents resulting in a total of 622 deaths. Out of these incidents, only five involved single fatalities, while the remaining 31 resulted in multiple deaths, highlighting the extreme risks associated with ASM activities. The study found that the average annual fatality rate in the small-scale mining sector was 44, significantly higher than the five fatalities per year on average in the large-scale mining industry.
