The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board (Goldbod), Sammy Gyamfi, has dismissed claims that illegal small-scale mining, popularly known as galamsey, has worsened under the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration.
He maintained that the government is showing genuine commitment to addressing the problem and has already recorded improvements in some water bodies.
According to him, recent turbidity data from the Water Resources Commission confirms that while challenges persist, several major rivers are showing signs of recovery. Turbidity levels, which measure the level of pollutants in water, are collected twice a year to track the impact of activities such as mining.
Mr. Gyamfi explained that the July 2025 figures show encouraging results when compared with the same period in 2024. At Mangoase, for instance, the River Densu’s turbidity level dropped from 256 to 44, while at Nsawam it improved from 59 to 19.1. The River Ankobra at Dorminaase also recorded a fall from 3,720 to 2,920.
“River Tano at Elubo has moved from 1,010 NTU last July to 834 this year. At Sefwi, the River Tano dropped from 12.3 to 9.57. For River Offin at Barikese, the level fell from 41.9 last year to 18.2 this year.
“At Dadeiso, the River Bia improved significantly from 1,190 to 372 NTU. Even the Black Volta at Bamboi, which has long been affected by illegal mining, improved from 52 NTU to just 4.79.”
Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board (Goldbod), Sammy Gyamfi
He argued that these results disprove suggestions that illegal mining has spiraled out of control under the NDC. While acknowledging that certain areas still face worsening conditions, he stressed that many others are improving, an indication that the government’s strategy is beginning to yield results.
He added that solving an entrenched problem such as galamsey cannot be done in a matter of months, but the current administration has shown clear political will to reverse the damage.
NPP’s Worsening Record
In contrasting approaches, Mr. Gyamfi accused the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) government of fueling the galamsey menace by issuing thousands of mining licenses, including in forest reserves.
He said that since assuming office in January 2025, the NDC has not issued a single mining license. He also revealed that the government is far advanced in repealing Legislative Instrument (LI) 2462, a law passed during the NPP’s tenure that permitted mining in forest reserves.
Mr. Gyamfi also revealed that the government has successfully recovered all nine forest reserves that were previously under the control of armed illegal miners. According to him, stringent efforts are being made to establish a permanent security presence in these reserves and around key river bodies to prevent re-invasion after illegal miners have been cleared.
On enforcement, he noted that the Ghana Police Service has, for the first time, been fully integrated into the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operation Secretariat, the central task force leading the fight.
Under the leadership of COP Christian Tetteh Yohonu, the police now play an active role in combating galamsey, unlike in the past when, in his view, they were largely sidelined.
Mr. Gyamfi further highlighted a new initiative to track earthmoving equipment entering the country to ensure they are not diverted for illegal mining. This, he said, represents a level of vigilance that Ghana has never seen before in the fight against galamsey.
Proves Seriousness
While acknowledging that illegal mining remains a major challenge, he insisted that the government’s record so far proves its seriousness.
“Our social contract with the people of Ghana is a four-year mandate. We are asking that Ghanaians judge us by our full term. The early signs are encouraging, and if we stay the course, the results will be evident nationwide.”
Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board (Goldbod), Sammy Gyamfi
He appealed to Ghanaians to measure the NDC’s performance over its full four-year mandate rather than rushing to negative conclusions only months into its administration.
According to him, the improvements already visible in several water bodies should be taken as evidence that progress, though gradual, is being made.
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