The Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has claimed that the establishment of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), with its dual role as both a regulator and an operator, could be indirectly encouraging illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey.
He made the remarks while addressing a press conference on January 26, 2026, expressing concern that illegal mining activities are polluting the nation’s water bodies.
The lawmaker accused the government of failing to deal with the “cancer” of illegal mining despite promising to crack the whip. He further alleged that the administration is prioritizing public relations over effective action.
“Organised labour last year sounded an alarm and indicated that galamsey activities have worsened. This government has failed to provide tangible evidence of its commitment to the fight against galamsey,” he said.
“It is clear that they are always involved in PR gimmicks, looking at the optics rather than the substance. They are interested in short-term gains,” he stated.
He added: “All we know is that they are talking about their success story, the amount of gold, or tonnes of gold, they have purchased, yet they have failed to tell us whether there are measures to tackle illicit gold produced through galamsey activities,” he noted.
“We are concerned because the future of this country is at stake, and the earlier this government takes steps to protect the future of Ghana, the better,” he said.
