Andrew Egyapa Mercer, the former Tourism Minister, has rebuked President John Mahama following his remarks on GoldBod’s buying gold from illegal miners.
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”.
According to Andrew Egyapa Mercer, Mahama’s comments undermine the galamsey fight.
He warned that such a move would amount to legitimising an illegal trade that has already caused a severe ecological menace.
The former lawmaker emphasised that the GoldBod must strictly source its gold from licensed small-scale and large-scale operators.
Speaking on JoyNews’ AM Show on Thursday, September 11, Egyapa Mercer stated, “If the President himself says government should buy gold from illegal miners, what signal are we sending? That is acceptable to destroy our water bodies and farmlands so long as the state can buy the gold? This undermines everything we have done to fight galamsey,” he said.
“What we ought to do is strengthen the capacity of legal miners and ensure compliance with regulations. Supporting galamsey through state purchases is not the solution. It will embolden lawlessness and weaken environmental protection,” Mr Mercer stressed.
Also, 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.
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, Manasseh Azure Awuni, an investigative journalist, has expressed his dissatisfaction with President John Dramani Mahama’s fight against illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey.
The investigative journalist commented on Mahama’s media encounter yesterday, September 10, 2025, in a social media post, writing, “President Mahama has been brilliant tonight. From his first term and now, President Mahama has always demonstrated a strong grasp on all the sectors. He’s not the kind that can be easily fooled by a minister or an appointee”.
Manasseh however added, “On galamsey, however, he has been very disappointing. The decay did not start in the last 8 years of Akufo-Addo, as the president said. I was a journalist when President Mahama was president. In his first term, I did not see the seriousness in fighting the menace. And his body language doesn’t seem to show that it will be any different.
The land that is destroyed because of galamsey can produce food crops, so we should stop creating the impression that the only alternative to illegal mining is “deviant acts,” as the president said”.
He further quizzed President Mahama on why he disbanded the IGP’s task force, “Why disband the IGP’s task force instead of just asking them to verify permits when they visit a site? Which sites did the task force invade that turned out to be a legitimate mining concession?
Mr. President, so far, you have done well. Ghanaians are beginning to hope again in many sectors, but in the fight against galamsey, I feel more hopeless after listening to you tonight”.