Member of Parliament for Akim Oda Constituency, Alexander Akwasi Acquah, has expressed concerns over the operational limitations of the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) in tackling illegal mining activities widely known as “galamsey”.

Speaking during a JoyNews National Dialogue on Illegal Mining on Thursday, February 12, 2026, he noted that while the police, and other security agencies are present in every district, NAIMOS is often relied on to lead operations.

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“Why would NAIMOS go to certain areas to carry out activities when every district has its own police command and enough security personnel to address illegal mining? But all of them are waiting on NAIMOS, and NAIMOS is overwhelmed,” he said.

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Akwasi Acquah also pointed out scheduling constraints, explaining that NAIMOS rotates operations across regions.

“NAIMOS goes to the Western Region this week, then the Eastern Region for a few days; next, they go to Sunyani and other regions for short periods. Relying solely on local assemblies, I’m afraid, will not solve the problem," he added.

NAIMOS is a specialised unit tasked under the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to coordinate, monitor and lead intelligence-driven field operations against “galamsey”

It acts as the central hub for integrating security, environmental, and legal measures to curb the destruction of water bodies and forest reserves caused by “galamsey”.

JKB/VPO

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