A five-year national security risk assessment has revealed that only the Volta and Greater Accra Regions remain free from illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, highlighting the widespread nature of the menace in six of Ghana’s original ten regions, according to security consultant Richard Kumadoe.
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Speaking on The Big Issue on Channel One TV on Saturday, October 11, 2025, Mr. Kumadoe said the findings underscore the need for a well-coordinated and forceful national security response, such as the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations (NAIMOS) task force.
“Out of the original ten regions, there are only two—Volta and Greater Accra—that you do not have galamsey activities or inappropriate mining. There are another two that you have minimal inappropriate mining, which is also of concern. But you have about six regions where there is aggressive inappropriate mining,” he said.
According to him, the scale of the threat explains the scope and composition of the NAIMOS task force and the aggressive operational posture adopted in recent weeks.
“They have three objectives: they want to destruct the activities of the inappropriate mining; two, they want to prevent them from coming to the sites or accessing the sites; and three, they want to curtail the activities of the inappropriate mining,” Mr Kumadoe outlined.
He said NAIMOS had so far demonstrated significant operational effectiveness, particularly with its warnings and enforcement measures targeting illegal mining operators.
“When we assess what they have done so far to the extent that they warned that there would be disciplinary actions for people they find doing inappropriate mining, we can say that we can score them very high,” he stated.
Galamsey remains one of Ghana’s most pressing environmental and security challenges, with heavy pollution of rivers, land degradation, and the involvement of both local and foreign operators threatening national stability and livelihoods.
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Kumadoe stressed the need to sustain momentum and ensure the task force’s actions translate into lasting deterrence and environmental recovery.
Meanwhile, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) has vowed to intensify pressure on the government in the coming days to take firm and decisive action against illegal gold mining, popularly known as galamsey.
The Union sharply criticised the government’s recent stakeholder engagements with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), arguing that such discussions have failed to yield any meaningful or lasting results.
“The fight to dismantle galamsey is the government’s fight. All of us must and will support. In the few weeks, the TUC will outline a few measures to support the fight against galamsey.
“The call of these measures will be to exert maximum pressure on the government and its agencies to act decisively on galamsey.
“Government must act decisively and must act now. Galamsey must stop; enough of the meetings and advocacy, talking, we need action now. The leadership of TUC will meet after this important tour and make a very decisive decision with the government on the way forward,” he said.
Source: Citinewsroom
