The Dormaahene, Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyeman Badu II, has urged chiefs across Ghana to take decisive action against illegal mining (galamsey) in their communities.
Dormaahene, who is now a newly sworn-in Court of Appeal Judge, appealed to traditional leaders not to act like they had no power.
Speaking to reporters after the swearing-in of Justices of the Court of Appeal at the Jubilee House in Accra on October 2, 2025, the Dormaahene said traditional leaders must not shy away from their authority to protect the environment.
“I want to appeal to the chiefs, we the chiefs, we shouldn’t say we don’t have the power,” he stressed.
Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyeman Badu II warned that anyone caught engaging in illegal mining on his lands will be prosecuted.
“If somebody is not allowing people to do galamsey, why can’t you do it? In Dormaa, if you come there, I will arrest you and give you to the police so that you will be prosecuted.”
He further stressed the need for chiefs to actively discourage their subjects from engaging in the practice.
“They should ensure that the people do not engage in galamsey, because if you do it and you are arrested, you know the consequences already.”
The Dormaahene has been vocal in his opposition to illegal mining.
On September 15, 2025, together with the Dormaa Anti-Galamsey Task Force, he led an operation that resulted in the arrest of three illegal miners and the seizure of seven water pumping machines, which were handed over to the Ghana Police Service.
His latest message comes shortly after his swearing-in as a Justice of the Court of Appeal in Accra yesterday.
