The John Dramani Mahama-led administration is leaving no stone unturned in the fight against illegal mining across the country, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, has declared.
He made this known at the maiden edition of the National Conference for Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) on Illegal Small-Scale Mining, held in Kumasi on Monday, November 2, 2026.
The conference forms part of the government’s efforts to intensify the fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, and address its devastating impact on the country’s natural resources.
Addressing participants at the conference, the Minister explained the consequences of illegal mining in the country following many years of damage caused to the environment and appealed to all MMDCE’s to make the fight against the practice a collective responsibility.
“We have gathered here this morning at this conference to discuss one critical sector of our mining industry, thus illegal mining”, he noted.
The meeting, he underscores, is not merely an administrative gathering but a call to collective responsibility and decisive action as the fight against illegal mining cannot be won by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources or security agencies alone.
“It requires leadership, commitment, courage and sustained engagement with the good people of Ghana.”
He also pointed out that iIlegal mining has become a serious national security threat, a major concern to all because of its devastating consequences for the environment, public health, food security, water resources and local economies.
The Minister further stressed that the Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat, the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana Armed Forces and other authorised security institutions remain important partners in national enforcement efforts.
“Enforcement operations must be supported by effective local governance. When NAIMOS conducts operations in a district, the Assembly must be prepared to assist with local information, logistical coordination within its lawful capacity, community engagement and follow-up monitoring,” he said.
He explained that, where cooperative mining or other approved arrangements are available, Assemblies should help communicate the opportunities and requirements to interested communities, he said.
Mr. Buah proposed that every mining-affected Assembly should establish or strengthen a district-level anti-illegal-mining coordination mechanism involving the relevant decentralised departments, regulatory bodies, security agencies and community representatives.
“History will remember whether we protected our rivers or allowed them to be destroyed, whether we preserved our forests or watched them disappear, and whether we safeguarded the interests of future generations or sacrificed them for immediate gains,” he added.
The Minister assured that, government will remain committed to confronting illegal mining, strengthen responsible mining practices with new mining sector reforms and protect the environment for sustainable national development.
On his part, the Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr. Frank Amoakohene described the conference as timely, and, is one that truly speaks to the heart of all stakeholders and participants.
He said the courage being displayed by the administration of President John Dramani Mahama in the fight against illegal mining cannot be overstated.
