NAIMOS Calls for Public Backing in Battle Against Illegal Mining

Accra, March 25, – The National Anti‑Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) has urged citizens, media, and stakeholders to intensify support in the fight against illegal mining, highlighting the grave risks it poses to water resources and national security.

Colonel Eric Amponsah Buah, NAIMOS Coordinator, made the appeal during the Secretariat’s quarterly press briefing and Editors’ Forum in Accra, warning that unchecked galamsey activities were severely threatening livelihoods and environmental sustainability.

“We must ask ourselves: are we aware that we are destroying our own future? That is the existential nature of this crisis,” he said.

Colonel Buah explained that NAIMOS operations are intelligence-driven, with tips from community members and traditional leaders guiding targeted interventions. The Secretariat works in close collaboration with the Ghana Armed Forces, Police Service, and National Intelligence Bureau to enhance operational effectiveness.

He noted that confiscated equipment, including excavators and weapons, is securely accounted for, while foreign nationals involved in illegal mining have been arrested, processed, and, in many cases, deported.

Colonel Buah also flagged the alarming presence of minors at some sites, adding that these cases are referred to social protection agencies. On environmental recovery, NAIMOS is supervising reclamation of degraded lands, including over 800 acres at Manso‑Nkwanta in the Ashanti Region, while seized equipment is repurposed for agriculture.

Permanent deployments have been established at major hotspots along rivers such as the Ankobra and Pra, with enforcement intensified to deter illegal miners.

“They remain the number one enemy of the state, and we will pursue them wherever they operate,” Colonel Buah stated.

He concluded by urging the media to continue supporting NAIMOS by disseminating credible information that strengthens the campaign against illegal mining.

NAIMOS is a government-coordinated agency under the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, mandated to combat illegal mining through intelligence, enforcement, community engagement, and environmental restoration.

GHBUSS

March 25, 2026