Sammy Gyamfi’s mining regularisation comments not endorsement of galamsey – Kwame Anthony

A Deputy National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Julius Kwame Anthony, has defended the party’s National Communications Officer, Sammy Gyamfi, insisting that his comments on small-scale mining regularisation were not intended to encourage illegal mining.

Sammy Gyamfi, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), has faced criticism following remarks suggesting that eligible unlicensed small-scale miners operating outside prohibited areas could be brought into the regulated mining sector.

The controversy followed the circulation of a video excerpt of his remarks at a mining engagement in with critics arguing that the comments could be interpreted as an attempt to legitimise galamsey.

Speaking on Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily on Monday, October 26, Mr Anthony argued that Mr Gyamfi had clearly opposed mining in forest reserves, water bodies and dangerous locations within communities.

“The things that formed the main basis for which we protested against the then President Akufo-Addo government are not being encouraged by Sammy Gyamfi,” he said.

Kwame Anthony recalled that the NDC’s demonstrations against illegal mining in September 2022 centred on ending the destruction of forest reserves and water bodies, preventing damage to roads and other public infrastructure, and ensuring that mining was regulated by the state.

He argued that Sammy Gyamfi’s position was consistent with those demands because the GoldBod CEO had explicitly ruled out mining in forest reserves and water bodies, as well as in dangerous locations such as roadsides and school lands.

The NDC communicator also drew a distinction between endorsing galamsey and bringing eligible unlicensed miners into a legal and regulated system.

He said enforcement alone might not resolve the problem, arguing that the government must also consider practical ways of moving miners into lawful operations.

Meanwhile, Sammy Gyamfi has clarified that mining affecting water bodies, taking place in forest reserves, or conducted in dangerous locations within communities cannot be tolerated or regularised.

He has said eligible operations outside those prohibited areas could be considered for formalisation under the government’s Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (rCOMSDEP).