The Ghana Coalition Against Galamsey has called on the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) to retract alleged remarks encouraging artisanal miners to operate without licences and apologise to Ghanaians.
In a press release dated October 24, 2026, the coalition expressed concern over statements attributed to the CEO suggesting that miners could operate without licences if they avoided forest reserves and river bodies.
The group condemned the alleged remarks, describing them as “unlawful, reckless, a seed of communal arms conflicts and a betrayal of the fight against galamsey.”
It argued that mining without a licence remains illegal, regardless of the location of the activity.
“There is no exception to licensing,” the coalition stated, citing Section 99(2)(a) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), as amended by Act 995 of 2019.
According to the coalition, the law requires anyone undertaking mining operations to obtain a licence from the Minister responsible for the sector.
It further argued that encouraging others to engage in illegal mining could attract criminal liability under Section 99 of the amended law.
The coalition said the provision covers people who command, instigate, employ or facilitate others to engage in illegal mining.
It added that Ghanaian offenders could face fines ranging from GH¢120,000 to GH¢180,000 and imprisonment for between 15 and 25 years, or both.
The group has, therefore, demanded that the GoldBod CEO immediately retract the alleged statement and issue an unqualified apology to the public.
It also called on President John Dramani Mahama, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, and the Minerals Commission to reaffirm publicly that mining without a licence is illegal, irrespective of location.
The coalition further urged the Office of the Attorney-General to investigate the alleged remarks for possible abetment of illegal mining, stressing that no one should be above the law.
Beyond the legal concerns, the group warned that the alleged remarks could encourage encroachment on farmlands and expose farmers and landowners to threats.
It called on the Ministry of National Security, the Ghana Police Service and the Ministry of the Interior to strengthen protection for farmers and landowners against possible invasions.
The coalition also urged the government to establish rapid-response channels to enable farmers to report encroachment on their lands.
It called for a national plan to protect agricultural lands through clear legal safeguards, designated farming areas where mining would be prohibited, and the mapping and registration of farmlands.
The group further urged the government to help women, elderly and migrant farmers document their land rights.
It also called for compensation for farmers whose lands had been destroyed by mining activities and the reclamation of degraded lands.
The coalition warned that allowing mining without licences would undermine efforts to distinguish legal small-scale mining from galamsey.
“The fight against galamsey cannot succeed when state actors tasked with regulation are the ones encouraging illegality,” it stated.
The statement was signed by Kenneth Ashigbey, Awula Serwah, Bismark Owusu Nortey and Daryl Bosu on behalf of the Ghana Coalition Against Galamsey.
