BY Daniel Bampoe
For years, the fight against illegal mining—popularly known as galamsey—has exposed deep political contradictions, shifting commitments, and an ever-widening gap between rhetoric and action.
The latest confusion emerged over claims that Ghana would require $10 billion to decisively tackle the escalating environmental crisis, a figure attributed to the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Kofi Armah Buah during a recent media interview.
Just a month before the 2026 Budget was presented, public debate intensified when political actors accused government leaders of understating or misrepresenting the true financial cost of combating illegal mining.
Critics pointed out a stark contrast: while the Lands Minister was alleged to have suggested Ghana needed $10 billion to save its forests and water bodies, the 2026 Budget presented by Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson allocated only GH¢150 million to the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS)—barely a fraction of what had been publicly debated.
Some opposition figures argued that this amounted to just 0.02% of the supposed requirement.
Lands Ministry Denies Quoting $10 Billion
In a swift rebuttal, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources labeled the circulating figure as “grossly misleading.”
According to the ministry, the sector minister never quoted $10 billion as an official cost. Instead, spokesperson Paa Kwesi Schandorf explained that the minister’s comments were taken out of context from an interview granted to TV3’s Hot Issues.
“What the minister said was that if we were to quantify the full financial implications of cleaning up the environmental destruction, even Ghana’s entire national budget might not be enough,” Schandorf clarified, adding that the TV station had been engaged to correct the misinterpretation.
Scale of Destruction: Millions Required, Not Billions
While rejecting the $10 billion figure, the Lands Ministry acknowledged the enormous cost of rehabilitating devastated lands. Over 5,500 hectares of land—equivalent to 7,500 football pitches—have already been destroyed through illegal mining operations.
Reclamation alone, the ministry says, costs approximately $38,000 per hectare, placing the overall bill in the hundreds of millions of dollars before factoring in water pollution treatment, law enforcement infrastructure, and ecosystem restoration.
As part of its response, the ministry plans to deploy over 1,000 military personnel to monitor 44 forest reserves currently under threat.
Budget Allocation Raises Questions About Government’s Commitment
In Parliament, the presentation of the 2026 Budget added a new dimension to the controversy.
Finance Minister Dr. Ato Forson announced that GH¢150 million would be allocated to NAIMOS to intensify operations against illegal mining and forest degradation.
The allocation, government says, reflects its “continued commitment” to environmental protection and its readiness to strengthen enforcement, surveillance, and community engagement under NAIMOS.
But critics contend that the amount is insignificant compared to the scale of destruction.
Opponents argue that the contrast between public statements, internal assessments, and budget allocation signals a lack of coherent strategy. Some political critics have gone further, accusing political actors across parties—including MPs, MMDCEs, and party executives—of being “neck-deep” in the galamsey business, weakening state resolve to confront powerful vested interests.
Licensing Controversies and Delayed Legislative Action
Public frustration has also been fueled by earlier allegations that licenses were granted to party operatives to mine in forest reserves under the Akufo-Addo administration.
According to critics, the current leadership’s unwillingness to repeal certain mining-related laws—despite promising to do so within 90 days of assuming office—is linked to fears of disrupting operations involving their own party stakeholders who have now moved into the forests.
After 10 months in government, some civil society observers say the political will to act appears to be diminishing rather than strengthening.
Coordination Challenges and the Role of NAIMOS
Meanwhile, the ministry is working to integrate a new peer-review task force formed by members of the Concerned Small-Scale Miners Association into the NAIMOS system to prevent enforcement conflicts on the ground. Schandorf insists that NAIMOS remains the lead coordinating agency for all anti-galamsey operations and that no clashes are expected.
Awaiting an Official Cost Breakdown
To quell the ongoing public confusion, the Lands Ministry has promised to publish an official national cost estimate for combating illegal mining by the end of the week—figures expected to shed light on what Ghana must realistically invest to reverse years of environmental degradation.
