Deal Ruthlessly with ‘Galamseyers’  –  Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah Charges NAIMOS Task Force

Ghana’s Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has issued a stark directive to the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations (NAIMOS) Task Force. He urged NAIMOS to deal firmly, resolutely, and ruthlessly with illegal miners, even those backed by influential figures.

At a deployment event in Sunyani on September 28, 2025, Armah-Kofi Buah declared that recalcitrant illegal miners, also known as galamseyers, are not mere trespassers but “enemies of the state.” Thus, he stressed that enforcement must proceed without favoritism or interference even from the well connected:

“The fight against illegal mining is not going to stop, and every measure at the Presidency is going to be used. I charge you with a profound sense of duty and patriotism. Any recalcitrant who enters these zones is not only a trespasser, but also an enemy of the state. You are to be firm, resolute, and ruthless” said by the minister.

“You will take no obtrusive intrusion from any big man. Remember, the biggest man in Ghana is the President, and he is the one who has sent you,” the minister added.

Also, the Deputy Director of Operations at the Presidency, Mustapha Gbande, reinforced this, emphasizing that arrests must not consider political affiliation.

“The most powerful person in this country, the President, is fully backing you on this mission. The NDC does not and will not endorse what our President is against. In the bush or in a water body, there is no political colour” said by the Deputy Director of Operations at the Presidency.

“So, if anybody goes in the name of a political colour, arrest the person. If anybody comes in the name of the President, also arrest the person,” the Deputy Director of Operations at the Presidency, Mustapha Gbande added.

Most of the challenges faced by anti-galamsey task forces are: political interferences, community backlashes, inadequate resources, logistics and legal backing.

Is There Hope For The Galamsey Fight ? – Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah

However, before today’s directive, NAIMOS-led operations have already seized dozens of excavators, changfans, and arrested numerous illegal miners in multiple regions.

The new charge by Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah signals a shift toward a more aggressive, and a no-nonsense enforcement.