CSOs must seize galamsey dialogue as golden opportunity, not a ‘talk shop’ – Kpebu

Private legal practitioner, Martin Kpebu, has called on Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to take their engagement with President John Dramani Mahama on illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, seriously and not dismiss it as a mere ‘talk shop’

Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Friday, October 3, 2025, Kpebu said the dialogue provides an important opportunity for stakeholders to press the president for concrete action on the issue.

He described the meeting as a significant step in participatory governance.

“We will need even a number of multitudes beyond today’s meeting. In governance, participatory governance or democracy, this meeting, to me, is a masterstroke. Let the CSOs have an encounter with the president, then they can push in more,” he stated.

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Kpebu noted that he was surprised some CSOs were downplaying the importance of the engagement.

“So, when I heard some of the CSO members saying, 'No, this is just a talk shop, it is not necessary,' I was like, really? You will need to see him and push him further. That is a golden opportunity to make a bigger pitch. So, let nobody say that this is just a talk shop. No. It is actually baffling that this is just a talk shop,” he stressed.

According to him, such interactions present a ‘golden opportunity’ for advocacy groups to make their case directly to the President.

Kpebu explained that beyond meeting the president, he expects the government to provide clarity on its anti-galamsey strategy.

He said this could be done through designated officers, including those working with the National Alternative Employment and Livelihood Programme (NAELP), to ensure better communication of policies and interventions.

Kpebu observed that while government efforts against illegal mining appear to be yielding some results, poor communication is creating a perception gap.

“My sense of the matter is that government is doing something reasonable, but because it is not being communicated fully, we are relying on old data to increase the advocacy,” he said.

He suggested that civil society advocacy has often relied on outdated information, which does not reflect current government initiatives.

Kpebu cautioned advocacy efforts that cite weak or unverified scientific claims.

He referenced reports linking galamsey activities to spontaneous abortions, insisting that such claims require more rigorous scientific backing before being used in public campaigns.

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Kpebu concluded that the dialogue between CSOs and the president should be viewed as a strategic opportunity to influence policy direction rather than dismissed as a routine exercise.

MRA/AE

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