The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) Wednesday called for intensified public support in the fight against illegal mining, warning that the destruction of water bodies posed an existential threat to the nation.
Addressing journalists at the NAIMOS Editors’ Forum and quarterly press briefing in Accra, Colonel Eric Amponsah Buah, the Coordinator of the Secretariat, said the impact of illegal mining, otherwise known as galamsey, continued to endanger water resources and national security.
“We want to ask ourselves, don’t we know we are killing ourselves? That’s the existential nature of the problem,” he stated.
Col. Buah urged citizens, the media and stakeholders to join hands and campaign against the menace.
He said success in the fight against galamsey would be measured by the restoration of clean water bodies, adding that the current pollution levels could lead to severe water shortages and increased treatment costs.
Col. Buah explained that NAIMOS operations were intelligence-led, relying on a network of informants, including traditional leaders and community members, to provide real-time information for targeted interventions.
He said the Secretariat also collaborated with key state institutions such as the Ghana Armed Forces, Ghana Police Service and the National Intelligence Bureau to enhance operational effectiveness.
Additionally, petitions from communities, chiefs, and civil society organisations were assessed by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and channeled to NAIMOS for action.
The Coordinator disclosed that several excavators, weapons and other equipment had been seized during the operations, assuring that all confiscated items remained intact and would be accounted for by the appropriate state authorities.
He expressed concern over the proliferation of illegal weapons at galamsey sites, describing it as a major national security risk.
“There are several weapons in the space… and that is a huge risk because any provocation can trigger violence,” he said, adding that personnel would act in self-defence when threatened.
Col. Buah revealed that some foreign nationals involved in illegal mining had been arrested and processed in accordance with Ghanaian laws, with many deported and blacklisted.
He also highlighted the presence of minors at some galamsey sites, describing it as worrying, and said such cases were referred to the appropriate social protection agencies.
On environmental recovery, Col. Bush said NAIMOS was supervising reclamation works in degraded areas, including over 800 acres of land at Manso-Nkwanta in the Ashanti Region, while seized equipment was being repurposed for productive use, particularly in agriculture.
He indicated that NAIMOS had begun permanent deployments across key mining hotspots and intensified operations along major river bodies such as the Ankobra and Pra to curb illegal activities.
The NIAMOS Coordinator warned illegal miners to desist from those activities and take advantage of the government’s planned cooperative mining schemes, stressing that offenders would face strict enforcement measures.
“They remain the number one enemy of the state, and we will pursue them wherever they are,” he warned.
He urged the media to continue supporting the campaign against illegal mining through the provision of credible information to aid operations.
The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat is a government-coordinated operational body under the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources tasked with combating illegal mining in Ghana.
Its operations combine intelligence gathering, community engagement, enforcement actions and environmental restoration, in collaboration with security agencies and local stakeholders.
The establishment of NAIMOS forms part of renewed national efforts to tackle the environmental degradation and water pollution caused by galamsey activities, which have severely impacted major rivers and forest reserves nationwide.
Source: GNA
