NPP Accuses NDC Of Worsening Galamsey Fight Through GoldBod Creation

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has accused the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) of undermining the fight against illegal mining, known as galamsey, through the establishment of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod).

NPP National Organiser Henry Nana Boakye, popularly known as Nana B, made the charge while addressing the media on Tuesday. He argued that GoldBod has created a system that allows gold from illegal mining activities to enter the formal gold-trading system, further harming efforts to combat the practice.

Boakye said the development contradicts the NDC’s strong opposition to illegal mining while it was in opposition. At that time, he noted, the NDC repeatedly accused the then-NPP government of destroying water bodies, forests and lands through galamsey and positioned itself as a defender of the country’s natural resources.

“We never knew that they were going to put a structure in place that will cause us so much harm. That is the GoldBod,” he said.

The NPP organiser further criticised the gold-buying system, stating it is difficult to determine whether some of the gold purchased was produced through legal or illegal means. He referenced past comments by GoldBod Chief Executive Officer Sammy Gyamfi highlighting challenges in distinguishing the sources of gold.

“Well, ladies and gentlemen, the NPP is out. The NDC is in. And illegal mining by every earnest measure is worse today than the day they stood on the banks of the river and pointed their fingers at us. Today, NDC continues to heavily poison the rivers they once wept for on camera. The GoldBod and the Bank of Ghana have failed on both counts. Our rivers are dying. Our people are getting sick,” Boakye added.

The comments come amid controversy over reported losses linked to the Bank of Ghana’s Domestic Gold Purchase Programme and questions about GoldBod’s role in the gold sector.

GoldBod, established under Act 1140 in 2025, is mandated to regulate and purchase gold from licensed artisanal and small-scale miners, promote formalisation of the sector, and support traceability. The board has previously rejected claims that it buys galamsey gold, stating it sources only through licensed aggregators whose licences prohibit purchases from illegal miners, and is developing blockchain-based tracking systems.

Galamsey remains a major environmental and political issue in Ghana, associated with widespread pollution of rivers and forests.