GoldBod has legalised illegal mining – Prof. Adei

Professor Stephen Adei, former Chairman of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), has launched a scathing critique of the government’s gold-trading initiative, Gold Board (GoldBod), alleging that it effectively legalises illegal mining, known locally as galamsey.

In a video circulating widely on social media, Professor Adei accused political actors, traditional leaders, and security agencies of being the true drivers of environmental degradation, claiming their involvement in galamsey has left Ghana’s water bodies contaminated with dangerous chemicals and high turbidity levels.

“Who are the galamseyers? The politicians, the chiefs, and the security agents are responsible for polluting the whole of water sources in Ghana. They have a way of making it look nice,” he asserted.

Professor Adei further criticised the Mahama administration, saying that GoldBod effectively legitimises the destructive practice. “For example, the current government, which in many ways is doing well, has legalised galamsey. GoldBod is the legalisation of galamsey. We buy from the small-scale miners; if we’re able to distinguish between the small-genuine gold miners and the galamseyers, we could have stopped the galamseyers,” he claimed.

He argued that the creation of a centralised state buyer for gold signals an intention to absorb the output of illegal miners rather than tackle the root causes of environmental harm. By establishing a national market for gold from small-scale operations—many of which overlap with illicit mining—Professor Adei contended that the government is effectively “laundering” the proceeds of environmental destruction.

GoldBod was established to formalise the gold trading value chain, improve traceability, and serve as the exclusive buyer of gold from licensed small-scale miners through accredited aggregators. However, critics like Professor Adei argue that its implementation risks normalising and incentivising illegal mining under the banner of formalisation.

This criticism has reignited debates over the environmental and regulatory impacts of gold-trading policies in Ghana.