BY Nadia Ntiamoah
The Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission, Martin Kwaku Ayisi, has been reassigned to the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources in a move that has sparked debate within the mining sector and political circles.
Government sources confirmed the reassignment on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, though no official explanation has been provided.
The decision comes after months of growing public and industry pressure over Ayisi’s handling of the Minerals Commission at a time when the nation’s fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, has reached critical levels.
He was appointed during Akufo-Addo administration and is still at post in the current Mahama administration, which the NPP sees it as betrayal.
Mounting Criticism from Small-Scale Miners
In April this year, the National Concerned Small-Scale Miners Association of Ghana (NCSSMAG) openly accused the Commission under Ayisi’s leadership of failing to implement effective reforms to curb galamsey.
The Association’s president, Michael Kwadwo Peprah, said the Commission’s “actions and inactions” had worsened land degradation and polluted major water bodies across mining communities.
The group further called for sweeping reforms at the Minerals Commission, stressing that without decisive leadership, government’s anti-galamsey fight would collapse.
The reassignment, therefore, is seen by industry watchers as a response to those calls, even if government has not publicly linked the decision to the miners’ demands.
Tumultuous Tenure
Ayisi’s period at the helm of the Minerals Commission has been anything but smooth.
Appointed to lead reforms in the mining regulatory body, his administration was initially praised for tightening licensing procedures and introducing new digital systems to improve transparency.
However, his critics argue that these measures were not enough to stop the powerful networks behind galamsey, many of whom allegedly operated with political protection.
Over the past year, opposition parties, civil society organizations, and even chiefs from affected communities repeatedly questioned his commitment to fighting illegal mining.
Some accused him of turning a blind eye to politically connected mining companies that violated environmental regulations.
The Political Underpinning
Ayisi’s reassignment also comes against the backdrop of heightened political attention on natural resource management.
With the ruling government under pressure to show tangible progress in combating environmental destruction, analysts believe the decision was strategic—an attempt to reshuffle key figures without admitting outright failure.
