Abstract
This paper explores the theological imperative for environmental stewardship as articulated in the Bible, juxtaposed against the ongoing ecocide in Ghana driven by illegal ‘legal” small-scale gold mining, known as galamsey. Drawing on key biblical verses that enjoin humanity to protect and cultivate the land as God’s entrusted creation, the analysis critiques the political complicity that perpetuates this destruction, leading Ghana toward an apocalyptic environmental crisis. Informed by the recent prophetic statement from the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC), which declares “delay is betrayal” in addressing galamsey, the paper calls for national resistance in line with Ghana’s anthem and theological principles. As a trained theologian and Ghanaian nationalist, the author aligns fully with the GCBC’s stance, emphasizing that unchecked ecocide violates divine mandates and national sovereignty, demanding immediate, collective action to avert irreversible harm.
Introduction
The environmental degradation wrought by galamsey in Ghana represents not merely an ecological crisis but a profound moral and spiritual failing.
Galamsey, a term derived from “gather them and sell,” refers to illegal artisanal gold mining that has ravaged Ghana’s rivers, forests, and farmlands, contaminating water sources with toxic chemicals like mercury and cyanide.
This ecocide – deliberate destruction of ecosystems, threatens public health, food security, and national stability, exacerbated by political complicity across administrations.
On Monday, September 15, 2025, the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference issued a scathing statement, labeling galamsey a “cancer in Ghana’s national soul” and urging President John Dramani Mahama to declare a “state of emergency”, warning that “the hour is late. Delay is betrayal.”
This prophetic voice echoes God’s biblical mandate for humanity to steward creation responsibly, while aligning with Ghana’s national anthem, which calls citizens to “resist oppressors’ rule with all our will and might for evermore.”
Inter alia, the Statement reads thus: “As shepherds of the Church and moral custodians of our nation, we cannot be silent before a calamity that imperils both the integrity of God’s creation and the dignity of His people. … This is not a routine challenge to be managed with half-measures; it is a national emergency requiring decisive, extraordinary response.”
As a theologian and nationalist, I posit in this paper that galamsey constitutes oppression against both people and land, demanding resistance rooted in scripture and patriotism.
Failure to act risks an apocalyptic state, where poisoned lands render the nation uninhabitable, fulfilling warnings in biblical prophecies of desolation for neglecting divine stewardship.
As it is, people I know who hail from places like Agona Kwanyako in the Central Region, are already having to load their vehicles with yellow Kuffuor gallons of water from Accra when they visit home in recent times because of the destruction of the Ayensu River which has led to the shutting down of the Kwanyako Water Works Station. This is the stark dark dire reality Ghana faces!
Biblical Injunctions on Human Stewardship of the Land
The Bible provides a clear theological framework for humanity’s relationship with the environment, portraying the land not as a commodity for exploitation but as God’s sacred creation entrusted to human care.
In Genesis 1:26-28, God grants humanity dominion over the earth: “Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’” This dominion is not license for destruction but a call to responsible rule, mirroring God’s own benevolent sovereignty.
Complementing this, Genesis 2:15 instructs Adam to “work [the Garden of Eden] and take care of it,” using Hebrew terms ‘abad (to serve or cultivate) and shamar (to guard or protect), underscoring stewardship as service to creation.
Leviticus 25:23-24 further emphasizes that the land belongs ultimately to God: “The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine and you reside in my land as foreigners and strangers. Throughout the land that you hold as a possession, you must provide for the redemption of the land.” This prohibits permanent alienation or degradation of the land, viewing it as a divine inheritance to be preserved for future generations. Psalm 24:1 reinforces this: “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it,” reminding believers that human actions toward the environment are accountable to God.
Numbers 35:33-34 warns against polluting the land: “Do not pollute the land where you are. Bloodshed pollutes the land, and atonement cannot be made for the land on which blood has been shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it. Do not defile the land where you live and where I dwell, for I, the Lord, dwell among the Israelites.” Here, pollution—whether through violence or environmental harm—is equated with defilement that invites divine judgment.
In the prophetic tradition, Jeremiah 9:9-11 and Habakkuk 2:17 decry the destruction of nature and wildlife, portraying such acts as inviting desolation: “I will make Jerusalem a heap of ruins, a haunt of jackals; and I will lay waste the towns of Judah so no one can live there.” These verses collectively mandate protection of the land, viewing ecocide as a sin against God’s creation and a betrayal of human vocation.
The Ecocide of Galamsey in Ghana
Galamsey has transformed Ghana’s landscapes into toxic wastelands, constituting ecocide through widespread deforestation, river pollution, and soil contamination.
Since the early 2000s, illegal mining has destroyed over 60% of Ghana’s forest reserves and polluted major water bodies like the Pra, Ankobra, and Birim rivers, rendering them undrinkable and unfit for agriculture.
Mercury use in gold extraction has led to bioaccumulation in the food chain, causing health crises including cancers, kidney failure, neurological disorders, and birth defects.
Farmers have been displaced, exacerbating food insecurity, while mining pit collapses have claimed lives, including children lured from education by promises of quick wealth.
Via social media, and with ravenous destructive glee, the nation is inundated with daily videos of galamsey pit gangs brazenly announcing their presence in restricted forest zones and daring the nation to dare attempt to stop them from their dastardly acts.
This destruction mirrors biblical warnings of land desolation, creating an apocalyptic scenario where once-fertile regions become barren.
Foreign involvement, particularly from Chinese nationals, has industrialized galamsey, introducing heavy machinery that amplifies damage, while local communities suffer from lawlessness and violent conflicts.
A recent report by JoyNews on September 10, 2025, on analysis of trade data from the Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC), that, Ghana is the highest importer of excavators in West Africa, outspending a vast country like Nigeria by more than double, does not bode well for the nation when it is quite obvious the directions in which the excavators are headed.
Political Complicity in Environmental Destruction
Political elites have enabled galamsey through, corruption, inaction, and invidiously capturing democratic institutions for private gain.
Bipartisan complicity is evident under both NDC and NPP governments.
Under the immediate-past NPP Administration, initiatives like Operation Vanguard failed due to protection of influential operators by politicians, MPs, chiefs, and security forces.
In 2025, resistance to anti-galamsey efforts and continued evidence-based reports by Erastus Asare-Donkor in particular, and other sources in general, underscores how vile economic interests override environmental and societal protection.
This complicity corrupts governance, enriching criminal cartels and eroding moral fiber, as noted by the GCBC and betrays biblical calls for just stewardship, prioritizing gold’s “narrow economic gain” over creation’s sanctity.
Such oppression demands resistance, as per Ghana’s anthem.
The Prophetic Stance of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference
The GCBC’s September 15, 2025, statement is a theological clarion call, defending God’s creation against ecocide.
Labeling galamsey a national emergency, they demand a state of emergency in mining zones to dismantle syndicates and halt corruption.
The Statement reads in part; “We therefore urge the President and his government to declare, without hesitation, a state of emergency in the most affected mining zones and around endangered water bodies. Such a declaration would empower extraordinary interventions: curfews in volatile areas, the securing of devastated lands, the dismantling of entrenched criminal syndicates, and the halting of corrupt administrative complicities.
The scale of the crisis justifies nothing less.”
It is very important to note that the GCBC has been very specific in its call for the state of emergency to be directed at “the most affected mining zones” and not a wholesale one – tampering much-needed justice with biblically justified empathy because there are some who are actually engaged in legitimate responsible small-scale mining whose industry must not be killed because of the bad nuts.
Proposals also include, overhauling mining laws, specialized courts, a permanent task force, regulated mining zones, land restoration, and afforestation programs.
Urging President Mahama to prosecute the powerful, they declare: “Delay is betrayal. Now, not tomorrow, not later, is the time to act.”
This aligns with prophetic biblical traditions, calling all chiefs, religious leaders, and citizens, to choose life over destruction.
Resisting Oppression: A Nationalist and Theological Imperative
As Ghana’s anthem implores, “help us to resist oppressors’ rule with all our will and might for evermore,” galamsey represents oppression by greedy elites against the land and people – it shall be resisted by all well-meaning Ghanaians.
Theologically, resistance echoes Jesus’ overturning of temple tables (Matthew 21:12-13), confronting corruption.
Nationalism and faith converge in defending sovereignty over resources, urging collective action through protests, legal advocacy, and sustainable alternatives to fulfill God’s mandate.
Conclusion: Preventing an Apocalyptic Future
Unchecked galamsey propels Ghana toward apocalypse – barren lands, poisoned waters, and societal collapse – contravening biblical stewardship.
The GCBC’s warning must catalyze action: declare emergencies, enforce laws, and restore creation.
As a theologian and nationalist, I affirm that resistance is a divine mandate and a patriotic duty.
Delay is indeed betrayal; now is the time to preserve God’s gift for generations.
Samuel Koku Anyidoho
(Founder & CEO, MILLS Institute For Transformational Leadership Development)
Sitsoanyidoho1@yahoo.com
18/09/2025