Educationist and former Chairman of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Professor Stephen Adei, has accused President John Dramani Mahama’s administration of effectively legalising illegal mining, galamsey, under the guise of the newly established GoldBod.
Speaking in a video shared by Bullet TV, Professor Adei told a congregation that politicians, traditional leaders, and security officials are the real drivers of Ghana’s polluted rivers, insisting they enable galamsey while pretending to fight it.
He sarcastically noted that these groups have a way of making galamsey appear acceptable. He said, for instance, the current government has set up GoldBod, which claims to purchase gold from genuine small-scale miners.
Professor Adei questioned this, pointing out that if the government could differentiate between legitimate small-scale miners and galamsey operators, it could have stopped illegal mining altogether.
“The politicians, the chiefs, and the security agents are responsible for polluting the entire water sources in Ghana. They have a way of making it look acceptable. For example, the current government, which in many ways is doing well, has legalised galamsey. GoldBod is essentially the legalisation of galamsey,” he said.
GoldBod was created to formalise the gold trading sector, particularly for small-scale miners, and to promote traceability in the industry. The initiative is also intended to enhance Ghana’s international reputation as a responsible and transparent gold producer.
Under this framework, the government envisions GoldBod as the exclusive buyer of gold from licensed small-scale miners, operating through accredited aggregators. GoldBod is also expected to serve as the sole assayer of gold in Ghana.
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