The Minerals Commission has issued a strong condemnation of recent violent attacks on officials from the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) who were conducting operations against illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey.
The assaults occurred during a coordinated national campaign in parts of the Ashanti Region, particularly in Hwediem and Obuasi, where officials were working to dismantle illegal mining operations polluting Ghana’s water bodies.
EPA Chief Executive Officer, Professor Nana Ama Klutse, confirmed that a joint EPA team and journalists were attacked by armed illegal miners near Obuasi, leading to a serious road accident that injured several people, including a Channel One TV journalist.
She explained that the incident happened during a three-week nationwide crackdown on illegal mining supply chains. The team, which included military and national security personnel, was forced to retreat after coming under fire while inspecting an illegal site at Dadwene.
In response, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission, Emmanuel Kwamena Anyimah, called on local communities to cooperate with authorities rather than obstruct them.
“We shouldn’t entertain such acts. We condemn the actions of the residents of Hwediem. The officials are there to protect our environment and national resources,” he said in an interview with Citi News on Friday, November 7.
Mr. Anyimah revealed that under the government’s Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (rCOMSDEP), residents of Ellembelle have been granted access to part of the Adamus concession to encourage legal and environmentally safe mining practices.
“This government has the political will to fight galamsey. We’ve introduced cooperative mining to provide alternatives, and soon, you’ll see people leaving the water bodies to mine responsibly,” he stated.
He further emphasized Ghana’s significant mineral potential, noting that the country ranks among the top globally in mining reserves and remains Africa’s leading gold producer.