The Secretary of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), Colonel Dominic Buah, has said Ghana cannot stop mining.
According to Colonel Dominic Buah, Ghana will continue to mine, but the threats posed by galamsey must be addressed.
He explained that NAIMOS’s efforts against illegal mining are anchored on three key pillars.
Speaking at an editors’ forum on Wednesday, March 25, the Secretary of NAIMOS, Colonel Dominic Buah, stated, “If anybody told you that you can stop mining in Ghana, well, I don’t believe it. Mining, as His Excellency the President keeps saying, will go on”.
“We have three main pillars for handling the illegal mining menace. We talked about prevention, that is, preventing the ills going on; then restoration, we talked about getting back the ecosystem which had been damaged; and then, of course,” he added.
Colonel Dominic Buah further announced that 237 illegal miners have been arrested in the ongoing galamsey fight.
According to NAIMOS, the majority of persons arrested are foreign nationals.
Colonel Buah, stated, “We have made 237 arrests, the majority of them are foreigners,” he stated.
94 excavators have been destroyed so far… almost 3,000 chanfangs have been destroyed,” he revealed.
“In the field, when we do not have load beds, we remove vital components so that they cannot use the excavator again,” he said.
“At the various galamsey sites, the use of excavators has gone down drastically… those you meet are often immobilised,” he added.
“Every excavator seized by NAIMOS is intact, and the Ministry of Lands will render an account, and the government will take a decision on what to do, but NAIMOS has them safely at various locations.
“Seized weapons too are intact, and I have received letters from the Small Arms Commission and through the Ministry, these weapons will be documented and disposed of.”
Dominic Buah further issued a stern warning to illegal miners against engaging in violent confrontations with members of his anti-galamsey task force.
According to Dominic Buah, NAIMOS won’t tolerate armed attacks.
Colonel Buah stated, “We will not stand and watch anyone use weapons against us. We are better trained in weapons and therefore warn that anybody who dares, NAIMOS will deal with them ruthlessly.
“It is a problem we are trying to address, and we have the right to self-defence and let no galamseyer miss that. If you go to the field with weapons and you try to fire it, a lot more will be at you.”
In related news, Ntebe Ayo William, the Member of Parliament for Tatale-Sanguli, has boldly stated that illegal mining, widely known as galamsey, cannot be entirely eradicated in Ghana.
According to the Tatale-Sanguli MP, Ghana can only minimise the impact of galamsey through targeted interventions.
He noted that earlier forms of illegal mining involved basic tools, which caused less environmental damage, adding that the increased use of chanfans and earth-moving equipment like excavators has significantly worsened the scale of destruction.
Speaking on Citi Eyewitness News on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, he explained, “What is galamsey at all? Galamsey is illegal mining. So, if I go to my farm and there is gold there and I decide to mine my gold, that is illegal, that is galamsey. We will control that one. The government is on the point to stop mining in water bodies and in the forest”.
“… you cannot stop galamsey in Ghana. To be honest with you, you can only minimise it. How do you end it? We are fighting it, and we are fighting it in two ways: water and forest. Don’t destroy the forest, don’t pollute the water,” he said.
See the post below:
Ghana cannot stop mining… – Col. Dominic Buah (Director of Operations, NAIMOS)#GHOneNews #EIBNetwork #GHOneTV #NewsAlert pic.twitter.com/EQIWCObE2q
— GHOne TV (@ghonetv) March 25, 2026