Introduction
The challenge to regulate trotro okada and galamsey has become a pressing governance question in Ghana. Prof Henry Kwasi Prempeh argues that when the state fails to control everyday transport systems like trotro and okada, its authority to combat illegal mining is weakened.
Prof Prempeh’s Critique
Prempeh maintains that a government unable to manage daily regulation cannot claim full credibility in more complex areas. He stresses failures in transport control, weak law enforcement, and selective policies that damage public trust. According to him, consistency in regulation is the key to restoring legitimacy.
Policy Contradictions
For Prempeh, genuine action against galamsey would begin with decisive measures such as banning mining in forest reserves. Instead, governments tend to focus on fragmented enforcement. While transport laws exist, their application is inconsistent. Mining regulations, though strongly announced, often collapse under political and local resistance.
The Regulation Gap
- In the transport sector, rules are present but rarely applied with firmness.
- Within the mining sector, leaders speak tough, yet enforcement faces corruption and pushback.
This uneven approach convinces citizens that state institutions lack the strength to manage either domain effectively.
