The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) has raised concerns about what it describes as persistent interference from powerful individuals—particularly chiefs and politicians—that continues to undermine Ghana’s fight against illegal mining.
Apart from that, inadequate logistics were also hampering their efforts to effectively deliver on their mandate.
The Director of Operations at NAIMOS, Lieutenant Colonel Joshua Satekla, expressed these concerns when he addressed a meeting to brief 14 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in the Western Region, along with two Regional Police Commanders.
The meeting was to update the MMDCEs and police commands of NAIMOS’ plan to deploy teams to the region as part of its ongoing exercise against illegal mining.
“The secretariat remains committed to combating galamsey, but interference from influential figures has become one of the biggest obstacles to our work.
“Every institution has challenges, and we are no exception. One of our key challenges is interference from influential people. We encounter this from politicians, chiefs and other stakeholders in areas where we operate, and it is a big problem that must be addressed. Another critical challenge is logistics,” he stated.
That notwithstanding, the NAIMOS Deputy Director said they remained committed to carrying out their mandate, which was to ensure that water bodies and forest reserves were protected from destruction by illegal miners.
He emphasised that NAIMOS had not been set up to stop mining, but to stop mining in critical places that posed a threat to lives and the environment.
Lt. Col. Satekla said illegal mining hotspots required strict enforcement and full cooperation from local authorities to maintain effective “no-go” zones.
He informed the meeting that the first batch of 50 officers was being deployed to the Western Region.
He stated that the officers would be stationed in the Ahanta West and Wassa Amenfi East municipalities and also in the Ellembelle District. As part of their responsibilities, they would supervise the operations of the other assemblies.
The NAIMOS Deputy Director appealed to all stakeholders for support, particularly within the communities, to enable the body to successfully carry out its mandate.
The Western Regional Minister, Joseph Nelson, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to eradicating illegal mining and urged all MMDCEs to back President John Dramani Mahama’s efforts to end galamsey.
The MMDCEs welcomed the decision to deploy the officers to their areas and pledged to collaborate and support to ensure a successful operation.
NAIMOS
Last July, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah Kofi-Buah, announced the establishment of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) as the operational nerve centre in Ghana’s intensified campaign against illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey.
The new Secretariat forms part of a broader government strategy to combat the devastating effects of illegal small-scale mining on the country’s water bodies, forest reserves and environment.
“To coordinate the efforts of the military, police, and other security agencies, the ministry has established the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) as the operational nerve centre for Ghana’s fight against illegal small-scale mining,” Mr Buah stated.
NAIMOS will function as a unified operational hub, integrating security, environmental and legal interventions under a single coordinated framework to ensure greater efficiency and sustainability in anti-galamsey operations.
As part of its mandate, the Secretariat would also collaborate with key government agencies to monitor and control the influx of excavators and other heavy earth-moving equipment into the country — a major driver of illegal mining activities.
