“I would choose to fight with integrity and die than being corrupted in this dangerous world that will destroy all of us”-Land and Natural Resource Minister There was something strangely reassuring about the silence along portions of the Ankobra River last Thursday. …
… He said the rehabilitation of the Ankobra River alone was estimated at $400 million, excluding the cost of restoring other polluted water bodies, including the Pra, Offin, Birim, Anum and Oda rivers, as well as the Black, White and Red Volta rivers. …
… He added that restoring the Ankobra River alone had been estimated to cost about $400 million, excluding the cost of rehabilitating other polluted water bodies, including the Pra, Offin, Birim, Anum, Oda and the Black, White and Red Volta rivers. …
… Those sponsors, those financiers.” Mr Buah made the remarks during an operation by the NAIMOS task force against illegal mining activities on the Ankobra River in the Western Region. …
Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has declared that Ghana is beginning to win the war against illegal mining, citing the dramatic transformation of the Ankobra River as evidence of significant progress in the government’s sustained fight against gala …
… Mr Armah-Kofi Buah (middle) with military personnel during an operation against illegal mining sites on the Ankobra River in the Western Region Read More You can now read the *Ghanaian Times* and *The Spectator* newspapers digitally on [TimesNewsPlus](https://timesnewsplus.com/ne …
… Ankobra water body at risk The operation has also highlighted continuing concerns over the impact of illegal mining on the environment, particularly the Ankobra River, which is identified as an affected water body in the area. …
The Western Regional Security Council has intervened in a dispute over Betterland Ghana Limited's mineral exploration and proposed transition to large-scale mining at Gwira Banso in Nzema East Municipality. The dispute centres on concerns about mining's impact on the Draw River Forest and livelihoods, with community divisions over whether large-scale mining would bring needed jobs and development.
The Western Regional Security Council has intervened in a dispute over Betterland Ghana Limited's mineral exploration and proposed transition to large-scale mining at Gwira Banso in Nzema East Municipality. The dispute centres on concerns about mining's impact on the Draw River Forest and livelihoods, with community divisions over whether large-scale mining would bring needed jobs and development.
The Ankobra River's banks, once bustling with illegal mining operations and makeshift structures, are now largely deserted, marking a visible transformation in the fight against galamsey a year after intervention efforts by the Ministry and NAIMOS.
Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng has proposed establishing a statutory Environmental Restoration Fund financed by a defined share of mineral royalties to reclaim mining-degraded lands and restore polluted water bodies, managed independently outside Ghana's regular budget cycle to prevent diversion during fiscal difficulties.
Former Environment Minister Prof Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng says Ghana requires an estimated $21 billion to reclaim and restore approximately 23,853 square kilometres of degraded land, largely from illegal mining and other destructive activities. Restoring the Ankobra River alone is estimated to cost about $400 million, not including rehabilitation of other polluted water bodies.
Minister Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah has pledged to intensify the government's fight against galamsey, saying the next phase will focus on identifying and pursuing the powerful individuals and networks financing illegal mining operations rather than only seizing equipment.
Lands and Natural Resources Minister Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah has declared that Ghana is winning the fight against galamsey, citing the Ankobra River's transformation as evidence. Operation Water Shield's second phase has removed nearly 3,000 mining machines from the Ankobra, Pra, Birim and other rivers, and resulted in more than 237 arrests, including 144 foreign nationals.
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources says the government has removed more than 3,000 illegal mining machines from major river bodies and arrested 237 suspects under Operation Water Shield. The Minister inspected the Ankobra River and attributed progress to a shift from sporadic raids to permanent security deployments.
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources says the government will continue fighting illegal mining with integrity, targeting powerful individuals and financiers behind galamsey. Operations have cleared 3,000 machines and resulted in 237 arrests.
The Lands and Natural Resources Minister says Ghana is making significant progress against illegal mining following sustained operations along the Ankobra River, with thousands of Changfan machines and operators cleared. However, he acknowledged continued pollution concerns and stressed that consistent enforcement is needed to sustain the gains.
The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) destroyed 86 Chanfang machines, 11 water pumps and two makeshift structures and arrested three persons during an enforcement operation at Ablebo in the Nzema East Municipality of the Western Region on August 22, 2026.
A University of Ghana public health lecturer warns that farmers' exposure to pesticide drift contributes to respiratory illnesses and air pollution in Ghana, noting that most farmers do not use protective gear when spraying chemicals. Health experts link chemical exposure to respiratory illnesses, cancer, and other long-term diseases, with air pollution causing an estimated 28,000 deaths yearly in Ghana.
The Bui Power Authority recorded a net profit of US$66.2 million in 2025, generating US$145.9 million in revenue and producing 1,438GWh of energy, exceeding its 1,350GWh target. The Authority increased its solar photovoltaic capacity from 55MWp to 105MWp while its hydropower plant maintained a 95% availability rate.
The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has rejected claims that National Security operatives aided illegal mining on the Ankobra River, describing the allegations made by arrested suspects as "completely false, misleading and without any merit." The Ministry said preliminary investigations found the claims to be untrue and noted that illegal miners often make baseless accusations against state institutions to evade accountability.
The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat task force arrested four armed suspects on May 20 along the Ankobra River in Nzema East Municipality for allegedly operating an illegal mining site, unlawfully possessing firearms, and destroying the environment. The suspects resisted arrest and attempted to obstruct the operation before being subdued.
The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat arrested four suspected armed illegal miners at Dominase in the Nzema East Municipality during a patrol along the Ankobra River on May 20, 2026. The suspects resisted arrest and were found operating with pump-action guns and machetes at an active galamsey site.
The Environmental Protection Authority has arrested Abeka Gogo, suspected of operating the illegal mining site Gyenyame Gyetei in Nzema East Municipality, where mining activities have damaged farmlands, wetlands and a tributary of the Ankobra River. The arrest followed a follow-up inspection after operators ignored a May 19, 2026 directive to halt operations, with EPA officials finding the site still active despite their order.
Personnel of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat and Blue Water Guards carried out riverine patrols along the Ankobra River on May 11, 2026, disrupting illegal mining at Dominase in the Western Region. The team destroyed six changfan machines that suspects were reinstalling on an abandoned floating platform.
Personnel of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), working with the Blue Water Guards, destroyed machines and disrupted illegal mining activities along the Ankobra River in the Western Region's Nzema East district. The operation targeted galamsey hotspots from Gwira Banso to Tumentu, dismantling approximately 20 changfan machines at one site and five modified boats fitted with an estimated 10 changfan machines at another.
Personnel from the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat and Blue Water Guards conducted sustained patrols in Nzema East District, Western Region, to combat illegal mining activities along the Ankobra River. During operations from Gwira Banso to Tumentu, the team intercepted about 20 individuals engaged in illegal mining, destroyed 20 Changfan machines and water hoses in use.
Personnel of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), working with the Blue Water Guards, have destroyed several machines and disrupted illegal mining activities along the Ankobra River in the Nzema East District of the Western Region. The operation targeted galamsey sites at Gwira Banso and Eshiem, dismantling approximately 20 changfan machines and other equipment used to draw water directly into the river.