Cadman Atta Mills, brother of the late President John Evans Atta Mills, has intensified the national conversation on illegal mining, cautioning that the government’s GoldBod initiative is quietly enabling the very menace it claims to fight.
In a pointed message shared on his X page and sighted by Plan B News on Saturday, 23rd November 2025, he backed Professor Stephen Adei’s recent critique that GoldBod’s structure is making it easier for galamsey operators to push illegal gold into the formal market.
He noted that although many Ghanaians continue to raise the alarm about the destruction of forests, rivers, and farming communities, critics are often dismissed as “Mahama haters” for questioning the government’s mining strategy. He insisted that the national crisis is too grave for anyone to be cowed into silence, stressing that “silence is not an option.”
According to him, while GoldBod does not directly purchase gold from miners, its reliance on licensed intermediaries creates a loophole that allows illegally mined gold to slip into the supply chain undetected. Illegal miners who once relied on dangerous backdoor channels now have an easier route to legitimise their activities through the system.
Cadman Atta Mills echoed Professor Adei’s warning that the current framework effectively “launders” galamsey gold by masking its illegal origins. His intervention adds to growing public concern as environmental groups, community leaders, and experts demand tougher, more credible enforcement to protect the country’s natural resources.
He believes Ghana must confront these structural flaws head-on and that a chorus of influential voices will be crucial in compelling the government to act decisively.
By: Bernard Mensah/Planbfmonline.com
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