Col Buah-led NAIMOS team must be commended for galamsey fight

The establishment of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) in 2025 under the Mahama Opoku-Agyemang administration marked a major turning point in Ghana’s long and painful battle against illegal mining, popularly known as ‘galamsey’.

For years, many well-meaning Ghanaians, environmentalists, academics, civil society actors, and patriotic citizens have consistently warned that galamsey has evolved beyond the traditional illegal mining methods into a far more dangerous and sophisticated operation.

Long ago, I described this dangerous trend as “High-Tech Galamsey” (HTG) because the perpetrators now deploy excavators, changfang machines, water pumping systems, sophisticated weapons, and organized criminal networks to destroy forests, rivers, cocoa farms, and farmlands across the country.

The creation of NAIMOS, therefore, confirmed the government’s commitment to confronting this national emergency with seriousness and urgency. According to reports, NAIMOS was established as a specialized intelligence-led anti-illegal mining outfit under the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to coordinate and lead operations against illegal mining activities nationwide.

However, the establishment of NAIMOS in 2025 alone will not automatically win the war against HTG unless President John Dramani Mahama takes bold and decisive measures to fully support the operations of the competent Colonel Dominic Buah-led team.

Personally, attending the first major stakeholder meeting called by President Mahama on the HTG menace with Civil Society Organizations, I was impressed by the clarity, seriousness, and determination demonstrated by the Director of Operations of NAIMOS, Colonel Dominic Buah.

At that important engagement, the Director outlined several operational successes, including massive arrests, seizure of excavators, destruction of changfang machines on water bodies, and intensified operations to flush illegal miners from forest reserves and river bodies.

Indeed, the achievements announced by Colonel Dominic Buah on 3rd October 2025 clearly demonstrated that the fight against HTG can be won if political will, institutional discipline, and public support are sustained.

The figures provided by the NAIMOS Director were not only remarkable but also encouraging for every patriotic Ghanaian concerned about environmental sustainability and national security. The major achievements outlined by Colonel Dominic Buah included the following:

1.Retaking nine forest reserves that had been heavily invaded by illegal miners under the previous administration.

2.Seizure of over 450 excavators used in illegal mining operations.

3.Arrest of more than 1,400 illegal mining suspects.

4.Destruction of over 500 changfang machines operating illegally on Ghana’s water bodies.

5.Seizure of more than 1,000 water pumping machines.

6.Confiscation of dangerous weapons and ammunition from HTG operators.

These achievements deserve commendation because the scale of destruction caused by HTG in Ghana has become frightening and unacceptable. Water bodies continue to be heavily polluted, cocoa farms are destroyed, biodiversity is threatened, and food production systems are disrupted. Reports have further indicated that over 40,000 hectares of cocoa plantations have already been destroyed by illegal mining activities.

Quite recently, Colonel Buah again updated the Ghanaian public during the maiden quarterly media briefing this year, organized by NAIMOS. The briefing highlighted fresh operational successes, including over 200 new arrests and additional seizures of illegal mining equipment. Such regular public accountability and transparency from the NAIMOS leadership must be encouraged because Ghanaians deserve to know the extent of progress being made in the fight against this dangerous environmental crime.

More importantly, Colonel Buah strongly declared that illegal miners and their collaborators are “enemies of the state” and that NAIMOS remains prepared to deal decisively with them. That strong statement reflects the seriousness of the national threat posed by HTG. Last week, Colonel Buah again emphasized publicly that culprits arrested in illegal mining operations would be dealt with without political considerations.

Such a position is refreshing and commendable because the fight against HTG cannot succeed if partisan interests continue to interfere with law enforcement.

Another important breakthrough achieved by the Colonel Buah-led team was the identification and arrest of fake NAIMOS officials who had allegedly been impersonating the institution for selfish and criminal purposes. This action demonstrates that the leadership of NAIMOS is not only targeting illegal miners but is also committed to protecting the integrity and credibility of the institution itself.

Nevertheless, one critical question remains unresolved. After these arrests, what next? This is where the government must act decisively. The arrests and seizures alone cannot solve the problem if culprits are later released without prosecution.

The current administration must ensure that all arrested illegal miners, financiers, collaborators, sponsors, and politically connected actors are properly investigated and prosecuted according to the laws of Ghana. The nation cannot continue to witness a situation where security agencies risk their lives only for offenders to escape justice through political influence and weak prosecutions.

Ghana simply cannot fail these hardworking military personnel and dedicated operatives whose lives are constantly placed at risk in dangerous HTG zones. Reports have even highlighted attacks and violent confrontations against NAIMOS personnel during operations. Their sacrifices must not be in vain. If the war against HTG is not won before President Mahama exits office in 2028, future generations may never forgive today’s leaders for allowing greed and lawlessness to destroy Ghana’s environmental future.

Without doubt, the Colonel Buah-led NAIMOS team deserves commendation for the impressive work done so far, although much more remains to be done. The fight against HTG requires sustained political commitment, logistical support, intelligence gathering, stronger prosecution systems, community cooperation, and continuous public education. Above all, Ghana must never allow politically exposed persons and powerful financiers behind illegal mining to escape accountability.

My outfit, the Climate Frontier advocacy (CFA), and many concerned citizens and CSOs will continue to support the efforts of the Colonel Buah-led team and the government in this crucial national fight. Ghana’s rivers, forests, farmlands, and future generations depend on the success of this mission.

President Mahama must therefore act decisively and consistently to ensure that the hard work of NAIMOS does not become another temporary political experiment.

The battle against HTG is not merely an environmental campaign. It is a fight for Ghana’s survival, national dignity, public health, food security, and economic future. The time for half measures is over. Ghana must either defeat HTG operations now or prepare to suffer devastating environmental consequences for decades to come.