The National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) has dismissed suggestions that its operations are influenced by partisan considerations, insisting that the fight against illegal mining is strictly non-political.

Responding to concerns about alleged interference by political actors, the Director of Operations at NAIMOS, Col. Dominic Buah, stressed that the Secretariat targets individuals engaged in illegal mining regardless of their political affiliations.

“When we get to a galamsey site, we see you as an individual. So let’s not dwell so much on the politics. Let’s dwell on the people perpetrating crime. That is it; that’s how we see galamseyers — we don’t see them by their party colouration,” he said.

He made the remarks during the NAIMOS Editors’ Forum and Quarterly Press Briefing held on Wednesday, March 25.

Call for support to sustain operations

At the same event, Col. Buah renewed calls for increased logistical and financial support to enhance the Secretariat’s operations.

He noted that the effectiveness of NAIMOS’s anti-galamsey efforts remains constrained by limited resources, particularly a shortage of operational vehicles.

“We need vehicles, we need money, we need all the resources,” he stated.

He also appealed to corporate organisations and non-governmental organisations to support the Secretariat, assuring that any assistance would be publicly acknowledged.

“Corporate bodies who want to support, why not? We will acknowledge you and then make it known to the whole nation,” he added.

Despite the challenges, Col. Buah commended the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources for its commitment to the fight over the past ten months.

Warning against violent resistance

Col. Buah further issued a strong warning to illegal miners against engaging in violent confrontations with NAIMOS operatives.

He disclosed that operations in some mining communities have faced increasing resistance, raising concerns about the safety of personnel enforcing the law.

“We will not stand and watch anyone use weapons against us. We are better trained in weapons and therefore warn that anybody who dares, NAIMOS will deal with them ruthlessly,” he cautioned.

“It is a problem we are trying to address, and we have the right to self-defence, and let no galamseyer miss that. If you go to the field with weapons and you try to fire them, a lot more will be at you,” he added.

Focus on crime, not politics

Col. Buah reiterated that NAIMOS remains focused on tackling illegal mining as a criminal activity, urging the public to avoid politicising the fight.

He maintained that the Secretariat’s mandate is to protect the environment and enforce the law, not to target individuals based on political identity.