The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) has voiced serious concerns regarding the persistent challenges undermining its mission to combat illegal mining, locally known as "galamsey." The Secretariat has identified logistical constraints and interference from influential individuals as major impediments to its operations.
During a recent address to Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in the Western Region, Lt. Col. Joshua Satekla, Deputy Director of Operations at NAIMOS, revealed that the fight against galamsey continues to face significant setbacks despite intensified government efforts.
Lt. Col. Satekla emphasized that interference from powerful figures, including traditional leaders and political actors, coupled with inadequate logistical support, poses a substantial threat to the effectiveness of NAIMOS. "These challenges undermine operational effectiveness and embolden illegal miners," he stated.
He elaborated that NAIMOS, like any institution, faces its own set of concerns. "Interference from influential people like chiefs, politicians, and other stakeholders in the areas where we operate is a big problem," he noted, adding, "The other problem has to do with logistics. When you move vehicles from Accra to wherever we are deployed, definitely the car will suffer a breakdown. So these are the two biggest challenges militating against our mission."
Despite these obstacles, NAIMOS is initiating renewed efforts to intensify the anti-galamsey campaign, starting with the deployment of its first batch of fifty officers to the Western Region. This deployment is part of a harmonized national strategy aimed at clamping down on illegal mining activities, restoring degraded lands, and securing the country’s water resources.
The officers will be stationed in the Ellembelle District, Ahanta West Municipality, and Wassa Amenfi East Municipality, which have been identified as strategic operational zones. They will also provide supervision and support to anti-galamsey activities across other Assemblies within the region.
Lt. Col. Satekla stressed that the success of the operation depends significantly on the cooperation of local authorities. "Without the support of the Assemblies, our work on enforcing no-go zones and dismantling illegal mining operations becomes extremely difficult," he stated, calling for proactive collaboration, intelligence sharing, and a coordinated response to prevent illegal miners from exploiting institutional gaps.
The session, which included two regional police commanders, also served as a platform for NAIMOS to outline a unified operational framework designed to streamline enforcement activities. This framework aims to eliminate fragmentation among state actors and ensure that efforts by the Assemblies, security agencies, and the Secretariat complement one another.
MMDCEs participating in the briefing expressed confidence in the renewed strategy. Ellembelle DCE Joseph Agyekum, Prestea Huni-Valley MCE Mathew Ayeh, and Ahanta West MCE Ing. Ebenezer Kofi Aidoo all pledged their commitment to support the initiative. They noted that the collaborative approach introduced by NAIMOS presents a more coordinated, intelligence-driven, and sustainable path toward achieving meaningful results.
The local government officials further highlighted their hopes that the upcoming deployment would help curb the increasing destruction of farmlands, forest reserves, and river bodies—areas that have come under severe threat from illegal mining activities. They reaffirmed their readiness to provide the necessary administrative backing, logistical facilitation, and community engagement to ensure the success of the operations.
With illegal mining continuing to pose a national security risk and threaten long-term environmental sustainability, NAIMOS’s move is expected to mark a significant shift in the country’s anti-galamsey campaign. The deployment of the first fifty officers is scheduled to commence in the coming days, raising expectations among stakeholders that this renewed effort will help reclaim the environment and restore normalcy to affected communities.
