'No gold is worth a life' - Sammy Gyamfi backs NAIMOS' anti-galamsey campaign

The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), Sammy Gyamfi, has delivered the strongest warning yet in the country’s renewed war on illegal mining, insisting that no economic gain can justify the environmental destruction and human cost caused by galamsey.

Ghana has long relied on its rich gold reserves to drive economic growth, but the unregulated activities of illegal miners, locally known as galamsey, have created devastating consequences for communities and the environment.

Rivers have been poisoned with mercury and cyanide, forest reserves stripped bare, and fertile lands contaminated, threatening both livelihoods and future generations.

Against this backdrop, Gyamfi has backed the ruthless crackdown on illegal mining and vowed to confront illegal mining with renewed vigour.

Speaking at the 2025 Dubai Precious Metals Conference on Monday, November 24, 2025, Sammy Gyamfi framed the issue in stark human terms.

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“No volume of gold is worth a human life. The lives and sustainable future of our people are far more important,” he said.

While the Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) sector has contributed significantly to Ghana’s economy, creating over a million jobs and bolstering the national currency, Gyamfi warned that unchecked illegal operations could undo these gains. He highlighted the environmental cost of irresponsible mining:

“Illegal and irresponsible ASM operations pose significant threats to our rivers, forest reserves, and lands. This menace pollutes our environment with various chemicals that are hazardous to life.”

To tackle the crisis, GoldBod is working closely with the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operation Secretariat (NAIMOS), pledging a firm, uncompromising approach.

“In Ghana, the GoldBod is supporting the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operation Secretariat (NAIMOS) to crack down on ASMs engaged in illegal mining practices that destroy our water bodies and forest reserves. The Mahama government is very committed to this fight and is taking on all persons who stand in its way,” he added.

Gyamfi also called on global institutions, including the DMCC, OECD, and LBMA, to support Ghana’s efforts to keep illicitly mined gold out of the global supply chain.

“We wish to call on the DMCC, the OECD, the LBMA, the World Gold Council, to support the genuine efforts of developing countries like Ghana who are determined to transform their ASM sectors to contribute positively to the expansion of the global gold supply chain,” he said.

FKA/BAI

Watch the promo to GhanaWeb's latest documentary, which uncovers the evolution of ‘kayamata,' an exploitative practice fueled by love charms and manipulation, titled, “The Dark Side of Kayamata,' below:



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