Galamsey damage accumulated over years cannot be reversed immediately – Kwesi Schandorf

The Spokesperson and Media Relations Officer of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), Paa Kwesi Schandorf, has said the environmental destruction caused by illegal mining cannot be reversed immediately, despite ongoing government interventions.

He argued that the damage accumulated over several years requires sustained efforts and time to address, cautioning against judging the current administration's anti-galamsey campaign solely by the immediate environmental results.

Schandorf made the remarks on Accra-based JoyNews' Newsfile programme on Saturday, November 14, while responding to concerns about the effectiveness of the government's fight against illegal mining.

"The reality is that the decimation that has occurred over the period is not one that can be remedied immediately," he said.

He explained that although the government had introduced several interventions to tackle illegal mining, the impact of those measures would take time to become evident.

The NAIMOS spokesperson consequently rejected assessments by some commentators that the fight against illegal mining had failed under the current administration.

He stressed that the government needed sufficient time to reverse the environmental damage caused by years of illegal mining activities.

"Government may be rolling in a raft of interventions to deal with the issue, but the results would not be immediate and instantaneous," he added.

His comments come amid intensified enforcement operations by NAIMOS, which has recently reported several interventions targeting illegal mining activities across the country.

According to figures presented by the Secretariat's Director of Operations, Colonel K.S. Appiah, NAIMOS conducted 738 operational activities between June 13 and September 30, 2026, covering approximately 50,662 kilometres.

During the period, the task force destroyed 1,970 changfan machines and 863 makeshift structures, recovered 74 firearms and 551 rounds of ammunition, and seized more than 100 excavators.