The Extraction Accountability Project (TEAP) has called for the immediate removal of Mr. Godwin Armah, General Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Small Scale Miners (GNASSM), from the Board of the Ghana Gold Company (Gold Board), citing what it describes as his direct involvement in environmentally destructive mining activities.
At a press conference held in Accra, TEAP’s General Secretary, Mr. Charles McCarthy, accused Mr. Armah of failing to adhere to the very principles of responsible mining he publicly advocates. McCarthy described the appointment as a “betrayal of public trust,” arguing that Mr. Armah’s operations in some mining communities such as Nsuatremso, Kyebi Adadeimu, and Osino depict a “landscape scarred by open pits” with no evidence of reclamation or environmental stewardship.
“We have videos of Mr. Armah visibly condemning the act of illegal mining… However, if you visit his mining site, it cannot, by any stretch, be described as responsible mining,” McCarthy stated.
TEAP expressed concern over what it perceives as a pattern of impunity and selective enforcement in the fight against illegal mining. Mr. McCarthy alleged that national security operatives and high-ranking officials are shielding individuals involved in destructive mining practices while others face prosecution.
The group warned that it would intensify its campaign if swift action is not taken. “Now that we are informing them—we expect them to act swiftly and decisively by removing him from the board at the speed of light,” Mr. McCarthy said, addressing the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, the Finance Minister, and the CEO of the Gold Board.
In addition to Mr. Armah’s removal from the Gold Board, TEAP is demanding the immediate revocation of his mining license by the Minerals Commission.
While TEAP insists it is not seeking to prejudge Mr. Armah, the organization maintains that addressing irresponsible mining is critical to safeguarding Ghana’s environmental future.
“Our aim today is not to convict Mr. Armah in the court of public opinion. It is to sound the alarm and call upon those with the power and the responsibility to act.”
When asked whether TEAP would continue to press for the revocation of Mr. Armah’s mining licence and his removal from the Gold Board should he regularize his operations and align with environmental standards, the group’s leader, Kwadwo Yeboah, said Mr. Armah is currently heading in the wrong direction and must be stopped.
However, he added that if Mr. Armah complies with the relevant mining laws and follows due process these decisions could be reconsidered.
