The Minority Caucus in Parliament has demanded the immediate resignation or dismissal of Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) Chief Executive Officer Sammy Gyamfi over comments it says suggest that small-scale miners can operate without the required licences and permits.
The Caucus has also demanded an unqualified apology from Mr Gyamfi, government sanctions and a clear roadmap from President John Mahama for ending illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
In a statement issued in Accra, the Minority questioned the legal basis for allowing small-scale mining outside restricted areas without the necessary authorisation, arguing that such an approach would undermine the enforcement of the country’s mining laws
It questioned whether similar exemptions could be extended to mining operations in schools, hospitals, markets, places of worship, Parliament and the Jubilee House.
“Sammy Gyamfi should resign immediately as CEO of GOLDBOD; failing that, he should be dismissed to restore the institution’s credibility”, the statement said.
The Minority cited the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), particularly Sections 9(1) and 82(1), which address licensing requirements for mining activities, as well as Section 89, which provides for the designation of areas for small-scale mining.
It urged the government to publicly condemn the remarks attributed to Mr Gyamfi and take appropriate action, insisting that all mining operations must comply with the law.
The Caucus has also called for a comprehensive audit of GoldBod’s records to establish whether gold purchases can be traced from the mine to the market and whether transactions meet responsible-sourcing requirements.
As part of its demands, the Minority wants President Mahama to declare a state of emergency in areas identified as high-risk galamsey hotspots and ensure the formal establishment and operation of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) through a Legislative Instrument (L.I.).
“To declare a state of emergency in all the red flag galamsey hotspots and to formalise the establishment and operations of NAIMOS through an L.I. to give meaning and structure to it,” the statement added.
The Minority has appealed to civil society organisations, traditional authorities, religious leaders, media organisations, professional bodies and other stakeholders to demand accountability from the government over its handling of illegal mining.
It said the demands were necessary to strengthen enforcement of the country’s mining laws and ensure that commitments made ahead of the 2024 general elections to tackle galamsey are fulfilled.
