NAGRAT President Raises Alarm Over Growing Involvement of Teachers in Galamsey
The President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Mr. Angel Carbonu, has expressed deep concern over the increasing number of professionals—including teachers, nurses, and doctors—engaging in illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
Speaking in an interview on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen program, Mr. Carbonu described the situation as a tragic reflection of Ghana’s deepening moral and economic crisis. He noted that the country has reached a point where the struggle for survival has driven individuals from almost every professional field into the destructive mining activity.
“Ghana still remains a poor and challenged country. We’ve destroyed everything, even water, which is fundamental to life. Sadly, some nurses, doctors, and teachers are now involved in galamsey,” he lamented.
According to him, the extent of professional involvement in illegal mining is particularly evident in parts of the Western and Eastern Regions, where some teachers have turned galamsey into a business venture. He revealed that others even go as far as taking personal loans to fund their mining activities.
“People now take loans of ₵20,000 or ₵30,000 just to invest in galamsey. It’s no longer the preserve of the unemployed; professionals are complicit,” Mr. Carbonu stated.
He attributed this worrying trend to what he termed a “contaminated mindset” and an excessive desire for wealth, which he said has blinded many Ghanaians to the long-term environmental and social damage caused by illegal mining.
“Even some children encourage their parents to sell their homes and join galamsey. It shows how deeply this greed has taken root,” he noted with concern.
Mr. Carbonu also reacted to growing public calls for the adoption of harsher measures—such as a “shoot-to-kill” policy—to combat the menace. He argued that such punitive approaches would not yield sustainable results unless the underlying moral decay and greed within society are addressed.
“No government can fully control Ghanaians when our desire for quick wealth keeps growing. We need a moral and mental reset, not just policy enforcement,” he concluded.
The NAGRAT president’s comments come at a time when government efforts to curb illegal mining continue to face challenges, with reports of rivers and forests being destroyed by unregulated mining activities across the country. His remarks have reignited public debate on the moral, economic, and environmental implications of galamsey and the urgent need for collective action to address it.
