Peter Lanchene Toobu, the Member of Parliament for Wa West and Vice Chairperson of Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee, has criticised the GH₵150 million allocated to the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS).
According to Peter Lanchene Toobu, the GH₵150 million for the NAIMOS in the fight against illegal mining is too small.
The lawmaker further asserted that Ato Forson, the Finance Minister, will do something about the allocation to NAIMOS in the 2026 mid-year budget.
The NDC MP is quoted by TV3 as having said, “GH¢150 million for NAIMOS, that is just in the budget. And I’m quite sure that it is too small. Looking at the volume of what they have to do, and their mandate, I’m sure in the media budget review, the Minister of Finance will do something about it”.
“Raise the strength to 1,000, give them full retooling, provide enough resources, and define a clear mandate with timelines. Soldiers can be trained for war and never see battle, but the galamsey menace is destroying our country. If we want the armed forces to succeed in enforcement, we must give them the tools, resources, and a defined timeline,” he stated.
His remarks come after Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, the Minister for Finance, has revealed that an amount of GH¢150 million has been allocated to the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) in the 2026 fiscal year to fight galamsey.
According to Dr Forson, the allocation demonstrates the Mahama government’s continued commitment to protecting Ghana’s natural environment.
Presenting the 2026 Budget Statement and Economic Policy to Parliament on Thursday, November 13, Dr Ato Forson stated, “An amount of GH¢150 million has been allocated to the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) for their activities against illegal mining and forest degradation”.
He added that the GH¢150m allocated will support ongoing enforcement, intelligence, and monitoring operations led by NAIMOS in the fight against illegal mining.
It will be recalled, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, some months ago revealed the staggering potential financial scope of the anti-galamsey effort.
According to the Lands Minister, a comprehensive fight against illegal mining could cost the nation an estimated $10 billion.
The Lands minister is quoted by 3 news to have said, “The fight against galmsey could cost $10 billion”.
NAIMOS was established to coordinate national efforts against illegal mining by integrating the work of security agencies, regulatory bodies, and local authorities.
In related news, ten heavily armed men impersonating the anti-galamsey taskforce at the Nyankamam-Armori Forest have been arrested by the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS).
The heavily armed men were arrested by NAIMOS at the Nyankamam-Armori Forest in the Aowin Municipality of the Western North Region.
The suspects were said to be operating with impunity, extorting money from illegal miners.
NAIMOS, in a dawn operation, led to the arrest of the group. The suspects were found with weapons and talismans.
They have since been handed to the Ghana Police Service for further investigation and prosecution.
See the post below:
Peter Lanchene Toobu, Vice Chairperson of Parliament's Defence and Interior Committee, has criticized the allocated GH₵150 million for the NAIMOS as "too small."#3NewsGH #TV3GH pic.twitter.com/rfVq7kfslm
— #TV3GH (@tv3_ghana) November 17, 2025