{"id":12733,"date":"2025-10-03T09:49:05","date_gmt":"2025-10-03T09:49:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/?p=12733"},"modified":"2025-10-03T09:51:22","modified_gmt":"2025-10-03T09:51:22","slug":"galamsey-fight-water-bodies-forest-reserves-now-security-zones","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/galamsey-fight-water-bodies-forest-reserves-now-security-zones\/","title":{"rendered":"Galamsey fight: Water bodies, forest reserves now security zones"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The government has declared all water bodies and forest reserves as security zones in the latest measure to root out illegal mining in the country.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The declaration forms part of intensified actions in the fight against the menace, popularly called galamsey, to secure the country’s environment and critical natural resources, mainly rivers and forest reserves, which are currently under heavy violation by galamsey activities, from further destruction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, announced this at the closing ceremony of a week-long National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) Field Task Force Training at the Sunyani Armour Training School last Friday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Security zones<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

“All water bodies and forest reserves have now been declared as security zones by the Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces, President John Dramani Mahama,” the minister said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The NAIMOS Field Task Force<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“So, I charge you with a profound sense of duty and patriotism that any recalcitrant (person) entering these zones is not merely a trespasser, but an enemy to the state. You’re to be firm, resolute and ruthless,” he stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Buah said the time was up for those who had chosen to exploit the rivers and forest reserves for personal gain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He explained that the NAIMOS would be deployed permanently in the forest reserves and water bodies to protect them from further destruction, stressing that galamsey was eating closer to everybody.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“For those of you in white ties and luxury estates, thinking the destruction and pollution of water bodies are far from you, it’s coming to you in the form of the salad you eat,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said no law in Ghana permitted anyone to mine in the rivers, explaining that the government had decided to extend the current 100-metre buffer zone for mining near water bodies to a full one-kilometre buffer zone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don’t compromise<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Mr Buah urged the task force to be united in spirit, be faithful, loyal and never compromise in defending the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He urged the team not to take any instructions from anybody else, saying, “You will take no obstructionist instructions from any big man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The biggest man in Ghana is the President of the Republic, John Dramani Mahama.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He is the one who sent and empowered you, and I know he will never call you to allow anybody to engage in illegalities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You’re to fight for the soul of our country”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr Buah urged them not to fail the country, but to remember that galamsey had contributed significantly to the increasing number of children born with deformities, causing deaths and other conditions due to drinking of polluted water by innocent children and women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said galamsey, for the past three years, had destroyed 44 forest reserves, and praised the NAIMOS for the significant progress made since its inception, despite the initial difficulties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“However, we are not under the illusion that this battle has been won. In fact, we are just about to begin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The government will not stop the fight against galamsey,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Director of Operations of the NAIMOS, Colonel Dominic Buah, said there were 335 personnel made up of military, police, Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) and National Security operatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He explained that they were the first batch of trainees to be deployed to protect the environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Col. Buah said the officers were taken through vigorous training to prepare them for effective and efficient operation on the field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said the NAIMOS was fully prepared, explaining that the task force was the best option for the fight against illegal mining.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Col. Buah said the officers were taken through health and safety management, awareness of improvised explosive devices and drug abuse, among others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reclaim environment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For his part, the Deputy Director of Special Operations at the Presidency, Mustapha Gbande, said many task forces had failed to combat galamsey, and charged the new task force to end the chapter of galamsey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said it was time to reclaim the lost environment and secure the future of the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou are a force undefeated, well trained, capable, and you must deliver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the bush and in the water bodies, there are no political party colours there,\u201d Mr Gbande said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Click\u00a0here<\/strong>\u00a0<\/a>for source.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The government has declared all water bodies and forest reserves as security zones in the latest measure to root out illegal mining in the country.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12734,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[153],"tags":[164],"class_list":["post-12733","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-articles","tag-galamsey"],"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":13733,"url":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/new-l-i-laid-before-parliament-to-revoke-controversial-mining-regulation-law\/","url_meta":{"origin":12733,"position":0},"title":"New L.I. laid before Parliament to revoke controversial mining regulation law","author":"Michael Teye","date":"November 7, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"THE Acting Minister of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has laid before Parliament a new Legislative Instrument (L.I.), the Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest) Revocation Instrument, 2025, to ensure a total ban on mining in the country\u2019s forest reserves.","rel":"","context":"In "News Articles"","block_context":{"text":"News Articles","link":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/category\/news-articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/LI.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/LI.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/LI.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/LI.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/gnbcc.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/LI.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12788,"url":"https:\/\/gnbcc.net\/september-activities-recap-a-note-from-our-gm\/","url_meta":{"origin":12733,"position":1},"title":"September Activities Recap: A Note from Our GM","author":"Tracy Mensah","date":"October 3, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"September was an eventful \u201cback-to-business\u201d month for the GNBCC. 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