Mahama admitted that the GoldBod is buying gold from galamseyers – Kojo Yankson

Joy FM’s Super Morning Show host, Kojo Yankson, has said President John Dramani Mahama, during his media encounter with the media on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, admitted to the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) buying gold from galamseyers.

 The President, during the engagement with the media, was asked whether the GoldBod could differentiate between the gold from galamseyer and that from licensed miners.

 Speaking at his media encounter in Accra on Wednesday, September 10, John Mahama explained, “ I didn’t expect that in 8 months we would declare victory in the fight against illegal mining (galamsey), as the livelihoods of about 4 million Ghanaians depend on small-scale mining. So, it’s going to be a process. It’s not going to be an event, but we will not give up. We are determined to get on top of the situation.

He added, “The GoldBod was introduced as part of the reforms to streamline the operations of gold buying in the country. If the gold board was not introduced, I mean, those who were profiting from the small-scale mining sector were the foreign traders (sic). In six months, we have exported over $6 billion worth of gold. About $4 billion of that money was going to go into the pockets of foreign traders”.

“So, the first thing is, you shut the stable door so that the horse doesn’t escape, which is what we’ve done. So, if it’s from illegal sources or it’s from legal sources, it is retained in the country because at least it’s our land that is being destroyed. So, let us get the benefit of it instead of foreign traders. So, that’s the first thing,” he added.

John Mahama further added that one of the mandates of the GoldBod is to track all the gold extracted in the country, which is now being worked on.

He added, “But if you go and read the GoldBod Law, it has a requirement for tracking and tracing. As I speak, the GoldBod is working with an organisation to put in a track and trace system.

So, they’re going to see those who have legitimate license requirements, so, that they can assist them in responsible mining. In that way, we can buy that gold off them once we do track and tracing”.

However, reacting after Mahama’s media encounter, Kojo Yankson has said the president’s remarks are an admission that the Goldbod is buying gold from galamseyers

Speaking on JOYNEWS after the event Kojo Yankson stated, “Is that why the fight against galamsey is not working? Is it because a lot of the gold that we are buying is exactly galamsey gold? You heard the president’s answer, it was pretty much an admission that, well, even if we are buying galamsey gold, we are as a government, are benefitting financially.

So, there is an admission there as a media, I am wondering whether we are going to pick up on that”, he confidently added.

Additionally, a Ghanaian based in the Netherlands, now a Dutch citizen, Kofi Gabs, has fired shots at President John Dramani Mahama over his recent comments on the declaration of a state of emergency on galamsey.

According to Kofi Jabs, John Mahama, in opposition, had all the genius policies and answers to end galamsey.

Kofi Jabs, however, asserted that Mahama in office is not saying and acting differently in the fight against galamsey.

In a post on social media in reaction to President Mahama’s remarks on a state of emergency on galamsey, he wrote, “John Mahama, when you were in opposition, you had all the ‘genius’ policies and answers to end Galamsey.

Now that you’re President, all you can say is ‘let’s allow the security services to do their work.’ So, where did all your brilliant solutions vanish to—campaign season only? @JDMahama”.

Also, Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye, the National Coordinator for the District Roads Improvement Programme (DRIP), has admitted that Ghanaians are not happy with President John Mahama’s recent remarks on illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, during his media encounter.

Vanderpuye noted that many Ghanaians anticipated a more decisive stance on the fight against illegal mining.

The former lawmaker, however, defended President Mahama’s stand on the state of emergency as intelligent.

Speaking on Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily on Thursday, September 11, Vanderpuye noted, “The only response that people were not too happy with was the president’s on galamsey.

I think people came there expecting that he would accept and declare a state of emergency. But listening to various media houses and people’s reactions, it appears that is the one response many were not too happy about.

“I think that he handled it intelligently. He made it clear that indeed there could be a state of emergency, but that would be after he had exhausted all the opportunities and the legal regimes available to him as head of state. And indeed, we haven’t exhausted them yet—we still have many avenues to use,” he explained.

Vanderpuye added, “I never thought the fight against galamsey was going to be an event, but rather a process. There are a number of interventions in place, such as the Blue Water Guards and others. It tells you that there is a plan, except that the plans in place have not yet yielded the results people are expecting”.

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President Mahama admitted that the Gold Board is buying gold from Galamseyers – Kojo Yankson of Joy Fm pic.twitter.com/APKzht9Mkp

— Gen. Buhari (@Gen_Buhari_) September 10, 2025