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Lands Ministry to Introduce ID System for Anti-Galamsey Taskforces Following Reports of Abuse
The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has announced measures to regulate the activities of task forces engaged in the fight against illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, following mounting complaints from small-scale miners over alleged harassment and extortion.
This move comes on the heels of concerns raised by the Ghana National Association of Small Scale Miners (GNASSM), which has accused multiple anti-galamsey teams of uncoordinated operations, intimidation, and abuse of power at mining sites across the country.
Speaking on Citi FM’s Breakfast Show on Monday, the Ashanti Regional Secretary of GNASSM, Michael Adu-Gyamfi, decried the confusion caused by the overlapping presence of several enforcement units.
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“I have five zones under my jurisdiction. Each zone is a full district, and on some days, you can have three or four different teams showing up at a site, all claiming to be there for inspections,” Adu-Gyamfi said. “Some say they’re from the national level, others from the region or district. This unregulated situation has led to intimidation and extortion of our members.”
Responding to the allegations, the Ministry’s Director of Communications, Mawusi Mawuenyaefia, assured that the government is aware of the challenges and is taking decisive steps to restore order.
“As part of our efforts to clamp down on illegal mining, we are working closely with local communities and have engaged regional ministers,” she stated. “We will soon introduce an identification system to clearly distinguish legitimate taskforce members.”
Mawuenyaefia emphasised that all enforcement operations are based on verified information and are not conducted arbitrarily.
“We don’t just get up and go into the field based on unverified reports. Every complaint is investigated thoroughly before any action is taken,” she noted, adding that local authorities — including chiefs, MCEs/DCEs, and regional ministers — are always notified ahead of operations to ensure coordination and accountability.
The ministry’s intervention aims to restore trust between small-scale miners and state security operatives while reinforcing efforts to combat illegal mining in a lawful and transparent manner.
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