ADAM-GH unhappy with withdrawal of IGP taskforce from anti-galamsey fight

The group fears the move could embolden illegal miners and worsen environmental destruction.

The Anchoring Democracy Advocacy Movement Ghana (ADAM-GH), a civil society organisation, has expressed strong disappointment over the government’s decision to withdraw the Inspector-General of Police’s (IGP) anti-galamsey task force from mining sites.

According to ADAM-Gh, the withdrawal of the IGP task force is a serious setback in Ghana’s fight against illegal mining, widely known as galamsey. The group warned that the move could “create room for illegal miners to intensify their activities” and cause further destruction to rivers, forests, and farmlands already under threat.

In a statement, ADAM-Gh accused the government of failing to live up to its commitments to Ghanaians.

According to him, the government has failed in the fight against galamsey.

He added that resetting the agenda should not be twisted in any way.

The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has, however, dismissed claims that recalling the police task force signals a reversal of policy. The ministry maintains that the government’s anti-galamsey campaign remains active, with new security arrangements and community-based monitoring set to take the place of the police-led taskforce.

Government Communications Minister, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, has said that President John Dramani Mahama never set a deadline to end galamsey.

Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Monday, September 15, Mr Kwakye Ofosu stressed that President Mahama never gave timelines on ending galamsey and that assessments of his performance must be based on his own words and actions.

“To be fair, if you want to assess a president, you will have to take him by his own words and actions, the commitments that he made. President Mahama did not give any timelines to ending galamsey,” he stated.

Mr. Kwakye Ofosu explained that during his recent media encounter, the President acknowledged the complexity of illegal mining and admitted that galamsey could not be eradicated instantly. “He said at the media encounter that he was not under any illusion that by the wink of a magic wand, galamsey will end because it is an insidious problem,” he added.

But, ADAM-Gh insists that removing the IGP task force will weaken enforcement at critical mining sites, potentially emboldening illegal miners. The organisation is therefore urging President Mahama to reconsider the decision and restore the task force as a visible sign of the government’s commitment to protecting the environment.

“The fight against galamsey requires consistency and firmness. Any mixed signals only embolden the very actors destroying our environment,” ADAM-Gh emphasised.