NewzThe General Overseer of Action Chapel International, Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams, has linked Ghana’s illegal mining crisis to what he describes as a broader culture of indiscipline, poor compliance with laws and weak accountability in society. He said the galamsey menace should not be viewed in isolation but as part of a wider national challenge in which laws and regulations exist but are often ignored or poorly enforced. Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Monday, August 17, 2026, Archbishop Duncan-Williams said his observations during a recent visit to Kigali, Rwanda, had caused him to reflect on Ghana’s approach to discipline and compliance.
He cited the widespread use of helmets by motorcycle riders in Kigali as an example of how citizens could comply with regulations when there was a stronger culture of respect for rules. According to him, Ghana’s challenge extends beyond illegal mining to a general failure to comply with rules designed to protect citizens and promote order. “We are not compliance-driven people,” he said.
“There is a lot of indiscipline in the whole atmosphere in our upbringing.” Archbishop Duncan-Williams said this culture of indiscipline was one of the reasons issues such as galamsey had become difficult to tackle, noting that illegal mining involved not only individuals but networks and interests that could resist enforcement. He said some people engaged in illegal mining were armed and described the activities as involving what he characterised as a broader cartel. “These people who are doing illegal mining are armed, and it’s a whole cartel to itself,f and it’s not just that,” he said.
The Archbishop also expressed concern that efforts to enforce the law could quickly become politicised when citizens failed to appreciate the importance of responsibility and accountability. He argued that the fight against galamsey should therefore not be reduced to partisan politics but treated as a national responsibility requiring discipline from citizens, businesses and institutions. “When people don’t appreciate and understand that being responsible and accountable in what they are doing is necessary and important, that becomes another matter,” he said.
‘The problem touches everything’ Archbishop Duncan-Williams said changing Ghana’s culture of indiscipline would require sustained effort because the problem was deeply rooted in … He said prayers alone would not be enough to address the galamsey menace, arguing that religious institutions must also create awareness and help citizens understand the importance of responsible mining and environmental protection. Asked what the Church could do beyond praying about the galamsey crisis, he responded: “Education.
That is why I am bringing up this subject.” He said the Church needed to help its members understand that the fight against illegal mining was not necessarily about preventing people from engaging in mining, but about ensuring that mining was conducted responsibly and in accordance with the law. “I feel I have a responsibility to educate the church so that we don’t politicise everything and realise that nobody, from my perspective, is telling people you cannot mine, but do it in a responsible way and be accountable,” he said. According to the Archbishop, the environmental consequences of irresponsible mining should be a major part of the national conversation.
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