The Minority in Parliament has demanded the resignation or dismissal of Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) Chief Executive Officer, Sammy Gyamfi over comments it says amount to an endorsement of illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
GoldBod has, however, rejected the accusation, saying a video circulating on social media was selectively edited and misrepresented remarks Mr Gyamfi made during an engagement with artisanal and small-scale miners in March 2026.
The controversy centres on an excerpt in which Mr Gyamfi is alleged to have suggested that small-scale miners could operate without licences and requisite permits if they stayed away from forest reserves, water bodies and roadsides.
In a statement signed by Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong, MP for Mampong and Ranking Member of Parliament’s Lands and Natural Resources Committee, the Minority described the alleged remarks as reckless and inconsistent with Ghana’s mining laws.
The caucus questioned whether the comments implied that unlicensed mining could take place elsewhere, including in schools, churches, mosques, hospitals, marketplaces and public institutions. It also asked whether the remarks would allow miners to evade accountability to the agencies responsible for regulating the sector.
Minority Cites Mining Laws
The Minority cited the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), arguing that mining requires the appropriate mineral rights and licences.
It referred to Section 9(1), which prohibits mineral exploration and mining without a mineral right granted under the Act, and Section 82(1), which requires a licence for small-scale mining. The caucus also said ministerial powers to designate areas for small-scale mining must be exercised in accordance with Section 89.
The Minority argued that avoiding forest reserves, water bodies and roadsides does not, by itself, make mining lawful. It described the alleged remarks as particularly troubling because Mr Gyamfi is a lawyer and leads a state institution that purchases gold.
The caucus accused the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) of failing to demonstrate a credible strategy against galamsey, despite its promises before the 2024 general elections. It said the alleged comments contrasted with President John Dramani Mahama’s pledge to intensify the fight against illegal mining.
Minority Demands Resignation
The Minority outlined seven demands, including an unqualified apology from Mr Gyamfi and government condemnation and sanctions over his alleged conduct.
They also called for his immediate resignation as GoldBod chief executive, or his dismissal if he did not step down. The Minority further demanded a thorough audit of GoldBod’s documentation to trace gold purchases from mining sites to market and assess responsible sourcing practices.
The caucus further urged President Mahama’s government to publish a clear roadmap for ending galamsey, declare a state of emergency in identified illegal-mining hotspots and establish the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) formally through a Legislative Instrument.
It appealed to civil society organisations, traditional authorities, religious leaders, professional bodies, development partners and the media to condemn the alleged remarks and demand accountability.
GoldBod Says Video Was Edited
GoldBod’s Media Relations Unit on their part argued that the said circulating video removed the context of Mr Gyamfi’s comments. According to the Board, he was explaining the government’s objective of identifying and documenting informal mining operators and transitioning eligible miners into a lawful, regulated system.
“Government’s policy is not to legitimize illegal mining. It is to end illegality by transitioning eligible operators into a formal system where they can be licensed, regulated, monitored and held accountable for their environmental and operational conduct,” the statement said.
GoldBod argued that permitting illegal mining was different from creating a pathway for eligible informal miners to regularise their operations. It said Mr Gyamfi’s remarks concerned formalisation, not authorisation to mine without licences.
The Board also referred to his remarks at the 2026 Mining in Motion Summit, where he reiterated that regulation should combine enforcement with formalisation, capacity building and opportunities for compliance.
Formalisation and Environmental Measures
GoldBod said it was developing an Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Formalisation and Financing Support Programme (FFSP), planned for rollout in 2027. The initiative involves the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, the University of Mines and Technology and the Minerals Income Investment Fund, with technical support from Rand Refinery SA.
The programme is intended to support formalisation and financing, increase production and jobs, and address environmental degradation. GoldBod said stakeholder consultations had begun with government agencies, miners’ associations and civil society groups.
The Board also said it was working with the Ghana Geological Survey Authority on geological investigations at Funsi in the Upper West Region and Bensere in the Ashanti Region to identify mineralised areas and encourage responsible mining.
On environmental protection, GoldBod cited its support for anti-illegal-mining operations, land reclamation and water remediation. It said it was funding the reclamation of 50 hectares of degraded land in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve, supporting rehabilitation of water treatment facilities affected by irresponsible mining and procuring a track-and-trace system to strengthen gold-supply-chain accountability.
GoldBod cited Section 3(1)(f) of the Ghana Gold Board Act, 2025 (Act 1140), which mandates it to promote formalisation of the small-scale mining industry through supply-chain sustainability, among other responsibilities. The Board maintained that its policy was to bring eligible informal miners under lawful regulation while ending illegal and environmentally destructive mining.
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