Legal practitioner and former Chief Executive of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), Tsatsu Tsikata, has said repealing Legislative Instrument  (L.I.) 2462 alone will not end illegal mining in Ghana, stressing that the challenge demands deeper reforms and stronger leadership from traditional authorities and local communities.

Speaking in a television interview with TV3 on Tuesday [September 30, 2025], Mr Tsikata said the public debate has focused too narrowly on L.I. 2462, while the scale and complexity of galamsey required a broader approach.

“Revoking L.I. 2462 is not going to solve the problem,” he stated. “The problem is not about one legislative instrument. It involves the political economy, enforcement capacity, vested interests, and the failure of institutions at multiple levels.”

Mr Tsikata argued that concentrating only on reversing the 2022 regulation passed by Parliament risked creating a false sense of progress, while deeper governance weaknesses and entrenched interests continued to drive the menace.

He noted that illegal mining had spread beyond forest reserves and was now a national issue requiring coordinated action.

He said the fight could not be left to the central government alone. Chiefs, family heads and local authorities, he explained, must take the lead in enforcement and also provide alternatives for the youth who turn to illegal mining for economic survival.

“Communities themselves must take ownership of the solutions,” Mr Tsikata said. “Without the active involvement of traditional authorities and local leadership, we cannot succeed.”

His comment come at a time of renewed public calls on the government to repeal L.I. 2462, which critics say has allowed destructive mining in forest reserves. While acknowledging the controversies surrounding the regulation, Mr Tsikata maintained that piecemeal legal changes would not address the scale of the problem.

Illegal mining continues to damage water bodies, cocoa farms and food security, with violent confrontations and environmental destruction reported in several regions.

Mr Tsikata added that only sustained enforcement, institutional reform and grassroots mobilisation could deliver lasting solutions.