The Chief Executive of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Godwin Edudzi Tamakloe, has warned that any district assembly that continues to collect levies from illegal mining operators after the President’s directive would be engaging in outright defiance, a grievous matter that must be addressed decisively.

Speaking on JoyNews' Newsfile on Saturday, Mr. Tamakloe commended Joy News for the exposé that first brought the issue to national attention.

“The truth of the matter is that we all appreciate the work that Joy FM and JoyNews did on this exposé. I personally had no idea any of these practices existed in those communities,” he said, describing the revelations as a wake-up call for both government and citizens.

He explained that in some cases, the levy-collection practice had evolved within assemblies over time and was often inherited by incoming District Chief Executives (DCEs) as a revenue-generating measure.

“Usually, when a DCE takes over, they consult their predecessor on internal revenue streams. In some instances, the view was that you could derive revenue from persons holding concessions within the assembly.

"But what is significant is that immediately this came to the attention of the President, he directed investigations across all mining communities,” Mr. Tamakloe said.

He added that preliminary findings revealed that the practice was widespread, prompting a nationwide directive for its immediate halt.

Mr. Tamakloe stressed that failure to comply would not merely be a procedural breach but an act of defiance.

“If after the President’s directive, the assemblies are still doing this, then it becomes an issue of defiance—and that is a grievous matter to be dealt with,” he warned.

He also highlighted the long-standing advocacy by anti-galamsey campaigners, including Ken Ashigbey, noting that government had taken steps to strengthen enforcement, including revamping the operations of the National Mines Oversight Service (NAIMOS) and destroying over 500 illegal mining equipment to date.