Professor Eric Abavare, President of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), has taken a swipe at the government’s handling of the fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, describing recent policy directions as misplaced and superficial.
In a strongly worded post on Facebook on Monday, October 6, 2025, Prof. Abavare mocked the emergence of what he termed “new terminologies,” such as de-chemicalization, which he said trivialises the galamsey menace.
“Dear Ghanaian, have you heard of the new terminology called de-chemicalization? It is funny because the core idea is being shifted to a point of trivialization,” he wrote.
He argued that while policymakers appear preoccupied with coining and debating technical terms, illegal miners continue to destroy rivers, forests, and farmlands across the country without restraint.
“Our inability to solve the problem has been shrouded and made unmeaningful by ‘majoring’ the minor and ‘minoring’ the major. It is the weak mind which does this because it seeks to avoid being blamed,” he stated.
Explaining the term, Prof. Abavare noted that de-chemicalisation, when used in the context of water treatment, refers to specialized purification processes that remove man-made chemical pollutants.
However, he stressed that the focus on semantics rather than real action exposes the government’s lack of commitment to restoring Ghana’s degraded environment.
He further questioned the political will to tackle illegal mining effectively, suggesting that the President lacks the resolve to confront the issue decisively.
“As to whether or not we’ll succeed in getting our fresh streams and rivers back depends largely on the will of the President — which, from where I sit, he does not have,” he remarked.
Prof. Abavare ended his statement with a poignant reminder of those who lost their lives in the fight against illegal mining, including Major Maxwell Mahama and other officials, urging Ghanaians not to forget their sacrifices.
“May the thoughts of Major Maxwell Mahama and the eight officials never be so easily forgotten. Kwame Ghana, dayie,” he concluded.
