A member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Communication Team, Alfred Thompson, has expressed deep concern over the rising dangers associated with the fight against illegal mining, describing the situation as a major national security threat that should worry every Ghanaian.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily on Tuesday, November 4, he lamented that those leading the fight against galamsey were now becoming targets of violent attacks, warning that if the current trend continues, the country could face serious security repercussions.
“It is really becoming sad that we can’t fight galamsey, and to me, it is a national security issue. The people who will fight it are the ones who are being fought. So you ask yourself, are we safe as a country? We are in trouble. Seriously, we should all be scared for ourselves,” he said.
Mr. Thompson further appealed to the President to take decisive action within his remaining years in office, stressing that the nation’s future depends on the political will to confront the menace head-on.
“I will plead with the President; he has about only three years remaining, and he has to leave a legacy. If he is the only one who can change the course of this dire situation in the country, he should do so. Where are we heading? Because if we are not careful as a country, we will be in trouble very soon,” he added.
His comments follow a violent attack on the Director of Operations of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) and his team at Hwidiem in the Ahafo Region on Saturday, November 1, 2025. The team reportedly came under attack after intercepting a group of illegal miners operating near Bronikrom.
According to preliminary police investigations, the NAIMOS team had arrested several suspects and retrieved critical exhibits, including a Smith & Wesson pistol, ammunition, two pistol magazines, an unregistered Range Rover, an unregistered Toyota RAV4, and several mobile phones.
In response, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Christian Tetteh Yohuno, has directed the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to take over the case and conduct a detailed probe into the circumstances surrounding the assault.