Communities must help sustain gains in illegal mining fight – NAIMOS

The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) has urged political actors and communities to support a sustained national effort to tackle illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.

The Secretariat’s Spokesperson and Media Relations Officer at the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Paa Kwesi Schandorf, said the fight against illegal mining should not be reduced to partisan political arguments.

He said Ghana must break the cycle where illegal mining worsens around changes in government, warning that the consequences ultimately affect communities and the country as a whole.

Speaking on Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily on Monday, September 28, Schandorf said government is working around the clock to deal with the menace.

“To make this work, and this is not a political talk, government is working assiduously around the clock to deal decisively with the issue. But what we must do if we are going to make proper and significant progress is that let us de-escalate the politics,” he said.

His comments come days after NAIMOS arrested 13 suspected illegal miners during an operation at Osino in the Fanteakwa South District of the Eastern Region.

According to reports, the operation followed an earlier intervention at the same location, after which illegal miners reportedly returned to the site.

NAIMOS has said the recurrence highlights the need for sustained security presence at illegal mining hotspots.

Schandorf said the persistence of galamsey also required cooperation from communities where the activity takes place.

He said some residents continue to support illegal mining because they benefit economically from it, making the fight more difficult for security agencies.

He cited the situation at Osino, where locals reportedly brought illegal miners back to the site only days after an earlier operation.

“The locals themselves had brought back the illegal miners again to come and do the illegal mining. Why? Because they claim they benefit from it,” he said.