Eco-Conscious Coordinator: GoldBod CEO Must Retract His Statement

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The Coordinator of Eco-Conscious Citizens and member of the Anti-Galamsey Coalition, Madam Awula Serwah, has called on the Chief Executive of the Ghana Gold Board, Sammy Gyamfi to “retract his comments” on mining without a licence and apologise for what she considers “a completely irresponsibly statement.”

She stressed that such messaging compromises regulatory oversight and heightens anxiety among rural communities, whose livelihoods and local water sources are vulnerable to unauthorised extraction.

“To incite people to go and mine without a license is completely irresponsible when you know that we face an existential threat with ongoing ecocide from irresponsible mining.”

She also urged President John Dramani Mahama to clarify that mining without the requisite licence is a criminal offence and that offenders would face the law.

The Eco-Conscious Citizens Coordinator cited Section 99(2)(a) of the Minerals and Mining Act, insisting that the laws do not permit individuals to begin mining simply because their proposed sites are outside water bodies or forest reserves. She emphasised that environmental restrictions and other regulatory requirements must also be satisfied before mining activities can proceed.

Furthermore, Madam Serwah rejected attempts to justify the CEO’s remarks through provisions of the Gold Board Act, 2025 (Act 1140), which mandates the formalisation of the small-scale mining industry. She explained that formalisation does not confer unrestricted permission to mine and that agencies such as the Environmental Protection Authority and the Water Resources Commission play roles in determining whether operations could lawfully proceed.

She also highlighted the potential consequences for farming communities, claiming that more than 2.5 million peasant farmers face risks to their livelihoods as illegal mining encroaches on agricultural land. Cocoa and palm oil plantations, she cautioned, are also vulnerable, while communities around the Nana Atronsu stream fear renewed incursions by illegal miners.

“Are we going to eat gold, or are we going to eat food?” she asked, underscoring her concern that persistent environmental destruction could threaten food security.

Madam Serwah further criticised the reluctance to enforce mining regulations, arguing that legal provisions would achieve little without consistent action against offenders. She urged authorities to protect community land rights, noting that residents in Jema have expressed a preference for cooperative farming over mining.

The Spokesperson for the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), Paa Kwesi Schandorf defended the Ghana Gold Board Chief Executive’s comments on small-scale mining, insisting that they intend to explain a pathway towards formalisation rather than be a “blanket permission” for unlicensed operations.

He explained that the proposed approach centres on the Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme, through which small-scale miners could be organised and brought within a regulated framework.

“It is not a blanket instigation. That is why I’m saying that the likes of Awula and indeed all the well-meaning critics seem to have taken it from a very literalist perspective. It appears that many of the commentators on this issue have not done fidelity to the broader context of the suggestion.”

The spokesperson acknowledged that the CEO referred to locations outside forest reserves, water bodies and other prohibited areas. However, he stressed that such references do not automatically permit miners to enter sites with excavators and commence operations without obtaining the necessary approvals.

He cautioned that isolating particular words from the explanation surrounding them risk misrepresenting the Government’s formalisation agenda.

“The use of the word ‘can’ is not expressed permission. It is an indication of a possibility,” he explained, distinguishing between the prospect of entering the regulated mining system and the legal authority to begin extraction. He asserted that miners would still need to comply with the relevant requirements before undertaking any activity.

In addition, Mr Schandorf stressed that the formalisation initiative responds to the limited livelihood options available in some mining communities. He referenced a common sentiment within those areas that “the way out of mining is actually mining”, using it to explain why the Government seeks to organise small-scale miners within a supervised system.

Nevertheless, Eco-Conscious Citizens Coordinator Madam Awula Serwah expressed disappointment with the spokesperson for the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Paa Kwesi Schandorf’s defence of Ghana Gold Board CEO’s comments.

She emphasised that well-read individuals understood the implications of Mr Gyamfi’s remarks and should not dismiss them as a misunderstanding of context. Madam Serwah reiterated that the Chief Executive Officer for Ghana Gold Board must retract his statement and apologise.

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