Galamsey would be worse without NAIMOS operations — Paa Kwesi Schandorf

The Spokesperson for the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), Paa Kwesi Schandorf, has defended the impact of the government's anti-galamsey operations, insisting that illegal mining would have reached far more devastating levels in Ghana if the task force did not exist.

Mr Schandorf, who is also the Media Relations Officer at the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, said the interventions undertaken by NAIMOS had helped contain the activities of illegal miners and prevent further destruction of the country's natural resources.

Speaking on Joy News on November 11, he urged Ghanaians to appreciate the importance of the secretariat's work by considering what the state of illegal mining would have been without its operations.

According to him, although galamsey remains a significant national challenge, the enforcement activities carried out by NAIMOS have helped prevent the situation from deteriorating further.

He maintained that the environmental destruction caused by illegal mining would have been considerably worse without the establishment of the secretariat.

"The situation would have been far worse than what we are seeing now in the absence of NAIMOS," he stressed.

To support his argument, Mr Schandorf pointed to the Ankobra River, which has suffered the effects of illegal mining activities over the years.

He indicated that the operations of NAIMOS had contributed to curbing illegal mining activities along the river, challenging journalists to independently visit the area and assess the situation.

He suggested that the absence of illegal mining equipment on the river demonstrated the impact of the secretariat's interventions.

"As we speak, if you went to the Ankobra River as we speak, momentarily, you would not find a single Changfang on the Ankobra River, because of the instrumentality of NAIMOS," he said.

He further questioned what the situation would have been if the secretariat had not been established to undertake enforcement operations against illegal miners.

"Now, if NAIMOS were not in the space, what do you think would be happening?" he asked.

Despite defending the secretariat's performance, Mr Schandorf acknowledged that illegal mining had not been completely eliminated in Ghana.

He conceded that the fight against galamsey remained ongoing but insisted that the results achieved through NAIMOS' operations were encouraging and provided a foundation for further progress.

He cautioned against suggesting that the persistence of illegal mining meant the secretariat had failed, arguing that the impact of its work should be assessed within the broader context of the country's longstanding mining challenges.

"When it comes to the assessment of results, of course, we cannot say that the matter has been exterminated, but the results have been decent and proportionate, and that is just the beginning," he explained.

While acknowledging that the fight is far from over, he maintained that the situation would have been considerably more disastrous without NAIMOS' involvement.