At a time when the government has renewed efforts to fight the menace of illegal mining, stateswoman Dr. Joyce Aryee believes that ethical leadership is very critical if the war against what has been described as environmental terrorism is to be won.
The menace of illegal mining continues to destroy farmlands, poison rivers, and weaken the livelihoods of communities, yet many attempts by successive governments to nip the canker in the bud have proven unsuccessful.
For the stateswoman, Ghana cannot win the fight against galamsey unless leaders, not only political leaders but also those in the mining industry, commit to true ethical leadership.
Dr. Joyce Aryee made this call when she spoke to fellows at the mentorship session at the Africa Extractives Media Fellowship.
The Leadership Dilemma
Dr. Aryee notes that leaders in the extractive sector often find themselves caught in the web of balancing shareholder pressure against the needs of the communities whose lands they depend on.
Unfortunately, many choose the easier path of profit at the expense of the environment.
This, she explained, is where mining leadership loses its moral footing. Without ethical conviction, decisions become reactive, transactional, and blind to the long-term harm caused to people and the environment.
She said, “CEOs must balance shareholder expectations with community demands.”
Why Ethical Leadership is Key
Dr. Aryee explains that ethical leadership is leadership grounded in integrity, courage, and responsibility to people and the environment.
In her words, ethical leadership is “leadership with requires vision and courage” emphasizing the courage to do what is right, even when it is not convenient. With this, she notes that mining is not just a business activity; it is a human enterprise with deep social consequences.
Since the industry sits at a delicate intersection where economic survival meets environmental responsibility, the is the need for leaders with integrity, transparency and vision. No amount of corporate reports or compliance forms, she says, can fix the harm created by leaders who refuse to act with integrity.
For her, the reality is that illegal mining continues to thrive because some leaders look away, some benefit quietly, and others simply lack the will to enforce the rules. The result is a devastating cycle of degraded farmlands, contaminated water bodies, and broken communities.
The Needed Collaborative Approach
She called for leaders, from mining CEOs to district chiefs, regulators, and even journalists, to rebuild trust through transparency and accountability. She stressed that ethical leadership is not about ticking boxes; it is about embedding social responsibility into decisions, prioritizing human rights, and upholding sustainable and fair practices.
Crucially, she emphasized the need for collaboration. The government alone cannot end galamsey. Communities alone cannot end it. Companies alone cannot end it.
The fight requires a unified approach where every actor sees the protection of Ghana’s environment and people as a shared duty, not an optional gesture.
“Collaboration between government, companies, communities, and the media is essential for ethical governance and sustainable mining development in Ghana,” she advocated.
Integrating Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining
She also calls for policies that bring artisanal and small-scale miners into the formal system instead of pushing them underground.
For her, this is one area where ethical leadership is strongly needed to ensure that the vulnerable in this area are not marginalized but empowered with appropriate policies.
“Leaders in the mining sector must embody integrity, transparency, and accountability to combat illegal mining effectively. Ethical leadership entails enforcing robust regulations, promoting lawful mining practices, and fostering inclusive policies that integrate artisanal and small-scale miners (ASM) into the formal sector rather than marginalizing them,” she noted.
The Bottomline
Dr. Joyce Aryee believes that if Ghana truly wants to end the destruction caused by illegal mining, then ethical leadership is not an option; it is a crucial path forward.
