The Interior Minister, Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka, has charged the Ghana Police Service not to exempt anyone, irrespective of status, in the fight against illegal mining a.k.a. ‘galamsey’.
He has asked the police to arrest anyone, even if the person claims he is acting on his (Muntaka) behalf.
According to him, there shouldn’t be any compromises in the galamsey fight, including political figures.
Muntaka, speaking at the 17th Regional Commanders’ Conference in Accra Friday, July 18, 2025, admonished the Inspector-General of Police, Christian Tetteh Yohuno, and the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to cast its nest wide in the anti-galamsey cause.
“If anybody calls you to say I have asked that you should let go of this operation, please ensure that you arrest that person,” Muntaka stated. “If someone calls and claims to be me, let the CID take action and arrest that person.”
He stated that the law is no respecter of persons, reemphasising that he will not sanction an operation and call for others to be exempted.
“I will not send you into the forest only to call back and ask you to exempt someone. That will never come from me,” he noted.
Highlighting the dangers galamsey poses to the environment, he commended the IGP and his team for the efforts they’ve put in place so far, reemphasising the government and leadership of the NDC both support the police’s crackdown on illegal mining in the country.
“The President is behind you. Deal with anyone involved in galamsey strictly within the limits of the law,” he stated.
As part of measures to clamp down on the activity, the Minister announced that all mining equipment must be registered by July 31, 2025, explaining that the directive follows the seizure of over 130 excavators, many of which had no identifiable owners.
“We must remove this heavy machinery from our forests. If we succeed in that alone, even if people still enter mining sites, the scale of destruction will be reduced,” he noted.
Muntaka further urged the cops to deal with anyone who indulges in the act, including members of the governing NDC.
“The party leadership has made it clear that they support what you are doing. They will not allow a few individuals to damage the image of the party,” he said.
