The GoldBod is a good concept almost same as the recommendations made in 2019 by this author (the Bogobiri) as part of the solutions to reduce the destruction of the environment by operators in the Small Scale Mining Sector to the barest minimum and to ensure massive or maximization of revenue in US Dollars from the Mining to help improve the economy fundamentals as well as get Ghanaian mining giants as real mine owners or Ghanaian to be in the commanding height in the mining sector.
It is feared that the current GoldBod concept which is not under Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources like the defunct PMMC is rather under the Ministry of Finance thus both interested in maximizing revenue from the Small Scale Mining Sector through 100 percent exporting of gold by the GoldBod and reduction of smuggling of gold may cause further nemesis of Ghana, if all the recommendations of this author are not followed.
Firstly, was/is the recommendation for the reclassification of the Mining Sector to include a third Sector as Medium Scale Mining Sector for operators of Licensed Mining Companies who are for Wealth creation or wealth accumulation as by tycoons to navigate from the Small Scale Mining Sector and operate or reside under the Medium Scale Mining Sector. This is yet to be done by Parliament or the Minerals Commission. Mining is capital intensive and there is the need for Ghanaians to gain commanding height, in the Mining Sector and this can only be possible by allowing Ghanaians interested in mining to operate freely with foreign partners, thus arrest the dishonest disease of fronting for foreigners. The truth must be told that the Small Scale Miners with or without mining rights/licenses and permits worked and are working illegally. This is so when we consider the rightful definition of illegal mining as mining without mining rights or with mining rights but not adhering to the terms and condition of the mining rights as well as illegally working with foreigners against mining laws and not posting reclamation bonds or not recovering mine out areas.
The second recommendation this author gave was that after the reclassification of the mining sector, the old aged Small Scale Mining otherwise known as Indigenous Mining or the time-tested Galamasey operation for poverty alleviation or livelihood should be renamed as Community Small Scale Mining. That for this mining method, it should be permissible if and only if it is in the Community’s interest to do Small Scale Mining and should be by use of simple tools. That Community Small Scale Mining should be made strictly for Ghanaians with no foreign participation, no use of sophisticated technology, and no use of substantial expenditure. . The concept of Community Small Scale Mining is to make Small Scale mining is too make the local leaders especially the local governance system to own the risk as Risk Owners by ensuring responsible mining, afford due diligence, no use of mercury, traceability of the gold, no smuggling with regulations to ensure the protection of the environment, protection of the operators themselves and protection of the public or the associated affected communities and to arrest smuggling. .
Lastly, the establishment of Minerals Board akin to COCOBOD for buying and exporting minerals like gold, diamond, salt very soon Lithium etc from both the Medium Scale Mining Sector and Small Scale Mining Sector through Minerals Marketing Company akin to Cocoa Marketing Company in the cocoa industry.
This author called for total elimination of foreigners from the Small Scale Mining Sector, so this author recommended the repeal of three bad mining laws enacted in 2012, 2013, and 2015 by Officials in the First Regime of President Mahama which permitted foreigners to operate in the Small Scale Mining Sector as support services providers and gave foreigners rights as buyers and exporters of gold from the small scale mining sector.
The three bad laws are, firstly, Minerals and Mining Regulations support Services 2012 (LI2174) which motivated the Chinese to bring thousands of excavators and Chafang machines in the name of support services but ended up to own the mining concessions and causing massive destructions of the environment, farmlands especially cocoa farms and massive diversion pollution of rivers. Chairman Wontumi through Hansol Mining Company is a great beneficial of this bad law. To be explained below. This law was repealed in2019 by the Minerals and Mining Amendment Act 2019 (Act 995)
Secondly, the law as Ghana Investment Promotion Center Act 2013 (Act 865) failed to make Small Scale Mining as No Go Areas for foreigners but rather allowed or motivated Foreigners to invest in the Small Scale Mining Sector as well with paltry equity (3). Minerals and Mining Amendment Act 2015 (Act 900) which strangely banned Precious Minerals Marketing Company which coincidentally was the precursor of Gold for Oil Policy and finally the ancestor of GoldBod and gave the buying and exporting of gold to foreigners and Ghanaian Partners. It is hoped that this law is not in existence side by side with the GoldBod Law.
It should be noted that the very hardworking and very honest Hon Lady Joana Gyan Cudjoe is a great beneficial of the three bad laws, since she rose from a shop attendant at Kwame Nkrumah Circle to her current riches status on the support of her boyfriend or husband who was/is a foreigner. Google and read Joana Gyan Cudjoe video with Delay on Galamasey Operations as well as Old photos, videos of self-confessed NDC Amenfi Central Parliamentary Candidate pops up.
These bad laws in the mining sector as enacted in the first regime of President Mahama were/are against Mining Laws which banned Foreigners reserved Small Scale Mining to citizens of Ghana. The Citizen of Ghana is clearly interpreted at Section 84 (1) of the PNDC’s Minerals and Mining Law 1986 (PNDC Law 153) as copied and pasted under Interpretation of Minerals and Mining Act 2006 (Act 703) at Section 111.
It is very interesting to note that almost everyone is praising the very good work of lawyer Sammy Gyamfi with the successful establishment of the GoldBod which is reportedly making wonderful gains in foreign exchange revenue from the Small Scale Mining Sector, so strangely, no one is asking our Leaders if GoldBod is one of the panaceas to address the debilitated economy of Ghana by our Leaders, why we failed to establish GoldBod or MineralsBod akin to COCOBOD which we operated ok for over 40 years. Also no one is asking whether adequate measures have been put in place to protect the environment and to protect the operators and the public through the activities of Small Scale Miners, since Mr Sammy Gyamfi and his team will be interested in maximizing revenue hence profit.
This situation has confirmed that Ghana’s past leaders in the Fourth Republic and the Intelligentsia Community are either ill-informed regardless with their academic laurels otherwise they were/are unpatriotic and corrupt. Truly so, hence unlike our ancestors or officials from the era of President Nkrumah to the era of President Rawlings, some of our Officials or leaders in Ghana in the Fourth Republic did/do not care for the protection of the environment and the use of the natural resources for current and future generations as required by Clause 6 of Article 257 of the 1992 Constitutions.
So the second coming of His Excellency President Mahama with his reset Ghana Agenda, as occasioned by God as stated in one of this author’s submissions, a very good omen but must be effectively monitored after Ghana has learnt a lot of serious lessons from looting scheme by some of our Officials/ leaders and their associates. These nefarious acts have contributed to the destruction of the environment through Small Scale Mining, a potential existential threat. It has caused the deteriorated economic condition which is biting most of the citizens of Ghanaians. Note God provides a Leader in our case the President of Ghana either a good or bad Leader for reasons best known to Him.
So President Mahama, as one of our past Leaders, has learnt great lessons from their collective past bad deeds and these has necessitated him to come out with the Resetting Ghana Agenda, hence the establishment of the GoldBod. Remember His Excellency President Mahama is a Regretful President. Google for ‘I made a mistake by buying tractors for farmers’ by Former President Mahama as published by Ghanaweb. So please come on board, the Bogobiri Ship on Better Ghana Agenda take time to read the details for you to make a good judgment call for the way forward. Hmm we no go sit down make the cheat us every day, so do not be Spectators. The Gold for Oil deal which was a secret domestic gold purchase program to avoid judgment debt, using the law that allows Ghana to buy minerals from Mining Companies. It is hoped that Lawyer Sammy Gyamfi Esq, short notice to gold exporters especially the banning of foreigners from operating as gold buyers and exporters may not attract judgment debt or affect Ghana’s Foreign Direct Investment portfolio.
Talking about judgment debt, let me wet your reading appetite by reminding you, readers of the Wayome Saga and that tomorrow Friday 16 May 2025 marks four years when troops of Military/Police on a Military operation in support of Civil Authority under the codename OPERATION HALT reportedly raided three mining sites at Larbikrom, Dompen, Pamen in the Atiwa Enclave and allegedly burnt 20 excavators which were being used for mining by Xtra Gold Mining Ltd.
Xtra Gold Mining Company was allegedly owned by Madam Kate Gyamfuah, then in 2021 as the National Women Organizer for the NPP and she is still as the NPP Women Organizer as at date, who unlike like Mr Wayome, the Financial Engineering Expert but like Chairman Wontumi, the legal engineering expert, is waiting or looking for an opportunity to come out with Legal engineering to win a massive Judgment Debt in US Dollars. So, the pending Madam Kate Gyamfuah case should remind us how Chairman Wontumi won a massive judgment debt. Google and read ‘We do not burn Wontumi’s Excavators’ by Hon Lawyer Inusah Fuseini Esq as published by Atinkaonline.com. Also Google and read ‘President Mahama Ordered the Burning of Mining Sites of Chairman Wontumi as published by News Ghana.
Unlike the Wayome Saga, Kate may make unacceptable gains from the Nation, since it was alleged by the then Defence Minister that she acted wrongly that necessitated the destruction of her business by his Troops on OPERATION HALT. She may make the gains, since it has been alleged that she may use legal means to seek justice over the destruction of her equipment. Google for ‘NPP Women Organizer to see seek justice over the destruction of her equipment’.
She has a very good chance to win the case under the regime of NDC because of three points. Firstly, it was reported that the NDC, protested against the act and thus expressed sympathy for her. Google and read NDC defends NPP Women’s Organizer over her burnt excavators as published by Adom online, so expect Financial and Legal engineering by her and her accomplices to get her paid billions of dollars.
Secondly, due to the fact that like the very hardworking and honest Hon Joana Cudjoe, Kate too with her business partners like Mrs Cudjoe was motivated by bad laws enacted by the first regime of President Mahama which allowed Foreigners in the Small Scale Mining Sector as Support Service Providers under Minerals and Mining Regulation Support Services 2012 (LI2174) as well as Gold buyers and gold exporters under the Minerals and Mining Amendment Act 2015 (Act 900).
Act 2015 (Act 900), strangely banned the PNDC’s Precious Minerals Marketing Company (PMMC) from buying gold from the Small Scale Mining Sector and exporting same or the purchased gold from the Small Scale Mining Sector and strangely gave it to foreigners who were/are banned from operating in the Small Scale Mining Law by Mining Laws of Ghana before 2012. Google for Minerals and Mining Act 2006 (Act 703) go to Interpretation at Section 111 and make a sound judgment call. .
PMMC was condemned or convicted by our Hon MPs in 2015 by Act 2015 (Act 900) to act as National Assayer or Laboratory among others. Hmm PMMC never dies, by God it metamorphosed partly into Gold for Oil Deal in 2022 totally now as GoldBod as in 2025. History really repeat itself or what has happened will happen again. Ecclesiastes 1;9. The three bad laws caused the smuggling of gold to the tune of over 2Billon US Dollars and the loss of further foreign exchange by Ghana through the legal retention of 20 percent of the foreign exchange from gold export from the Small Scale Mining Sector.
Enter the GoldBod, concept which sounds as a good idea by ensuring 100 percent of gold export revenue from the Small Scale Mining Sector is retained by or brought to Ghana by the GoldBod and thus not allowing foreigners to operate as gold buyers and exporting of gold in the Small Scale Mining Sector.
Though the good work of lawyer Sammy Gyamfi is working smoothly, it is debatable due to three matters namely the state of honesty of Ghanaians in general especially with mining operations, secondly, the state of the mindset of the people of Ghana about the gold as birthright which need to be changed and thirdly the state of honesty by State Security personnel and the ineffectiveness of the laws and national security systems of Ghana.
Our Leaders, need to be told that Small Scale Mining is basically a poverty driven informal indigenous mining activity which was done before the formation of the Gold Coast Colony and was named as such by the Colonial Masters due to the abundance of gold. So, our leaders need to be told that the Operators in the Small Scale Mining Sector since the era of Gold Coast had/ have the mindset that the gold was/is a gift from God for them to escape from their poverty miseries. Hence will continue to be so until the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ to change the Ghanaian mindset among others. So foreigners should not be allowed to operate in the Small Scale Mining Sector at all. So our MPs and GoldBod to take note and also create a window through the Medium Scale Mining Sector for the Chinese and Indians in our midst burning on mining at all cost to do so freely by partnering with Ghanaians.
The management of the GoldBod or Our leaders need to be reminded or told that real Small Scale Mining is done randomly and in a nomadic manner with no substantial expenditure, with simple tools resulting in an operation which was/is predominantly eco-unfriendly (without care to the environment), unsafe due to digging of shafts or pits and abandoning of sites hence without covering or reclamation or rehabilitation. There is also an associated risk of unhealthy operation due to the use of poisonous chemicals like mercury or cyanide for the processing of the gold ore. The Operators operate in thousands in number which involved women and Children hence social issue. These are the characteristics of Small Scale mining globally which should guide the GoldBod which is working to maximize revenue.
So, the operators of small scale mining in the search for gold, operate in an irresponsible/informal (unconcerned, lawlessness, immoral) manner. So, Small Scale Mining is a National Security Risk due to its potential as existential threat. Confirmation that Ghana really lacked critical thinking mindset persons or Security Risk experts otherwise honest persons to speak the truth.
So the best method is NOT TO PROMOTE SMALL SCALE MINING in order to realize more gold but to contain or control Small Scale Mining with multifaceted approach including Economically/Politically through the complete separation or isolation of industrial mining from real small scale mining or indigenous mining. This should be done by navigating people in the sector for wealth creation to Medium Scale Mining Sector to be made to comply with International and local standards including employment of Mine Manager, Safety and Environmental Officers, leaving Small Scale Mining as a national disaster which needs Government Intervention with multifaceted approach by Economically/Politically with the support of the World Bank to provide Alternative Livelihood Projects to Small Scale Mining Operators, with Precious Minerals Marketing or Minerals Board to give support for them to operate in a very responsible manner. Politically, Physiologically, Socially by employment and education and religiously by Religious leaders through preaching about the vices and militarily with use of minimum force. Cooperation with nearby Large Scale Mining Companies to contain them within limits.
Ghanaian Companies example, Goldridge Ghana Ltd owned by a Ghanaian should be helped to maximum support for the recommended Medium Scale Mining Sector and give acceptable minimum support to Community Small Scale Mining in the form of no use of mercury, traceability of gold or due diligence. Google and Read Dr Nana Yaw Duodu, the Man to Watch for Buoyant Economy/24 hour Economy by Major Mohammed Bogobiri (rtd) as published by Modern Ghana.
Small Scale Miners with the mindsets that the gold is their birth rights or gift from God for them to escape from their poverty miseries, so need mindset revolution which will be difficult, so the best ways are regulations for the protection of the environment (no go areas, security watch) and the protection of the small scale miners and associated communities through security monitoring hence a win-win solution and not a license regime since they do not have the money and time to do so. This is the best strategy to deal with the Galamasey/illegal mining menace in Ghana due to our unpatriotic and dishonest Character not the same like that of other countries.
So the GoldBod to watch it in their attempt to maximize gold export so not to create the annihilation of the people of Ghana. Note Small Scale was banned for two years in the first regime of President Nana Addo but the period of the ban recorded the highest export or sale of gold from the Small Scale Mining Sector.
Note that a person with a critical thinking mindset would come to the conclusion that it was the fear of the likelihood of destruction of the environment and the other associated risks that made the Colonial Masters to ban Small Scale Mining in 1906 and ban use of mercury in 1933 to protect the environment as well as to protect the operators and associated communities respectively.
Our leaders need to find out why the ban on Small Scale Mining by the Colonial Masters was maintained when Gold Coast became Modern Ghana under the CPP Regime of President Dr Kwame Nkrumah. Why President Nkrumah in 1962 enacted the Minerals and Mining Act 1962 and vested all minerals in the President on behalf of and in trust for the people of Ghana. This Mining law of the regime of the CCP is the original source of Clause 6 of Article 257 in the 1992 Constitution.
Our leaders need to be told that the PNDC in 1986 with the support of the World Bank departed from the above stated affairs in the history of Mining in Ghana, that is before 1986 with the Minerals and Mining Laws 1986 (PNDC Law 153) and with the establishment of Minerals Commission in 1986 (PNDC154) in order to attract Foreign Direct Investment.
Our leaders need to be told that in recognition of the time-tested or time-honored indigenous mining was the reason for the lifting by the PNDC, the ban on Galamasey and coined it in English as Artisanal Small Scale Mining (a decorated donkey is still a donkey) and legalized it in 1986 into Small Scale Mining Law (Galamasey Law) at Section 77 of the Minerals and Mining law 1986 (PNDC Law 153). By the PNDC’s law on Small Scale Minerals Operation, the operation is granted if and only if it is in the public interest for mining by a method not involving substantial expenditure or sophisticated technology. So GoldBod to watch it.
Google for Minerals and Mining 1986 (PNDC Law 153) and read section 77, at page 27 and with a sound judgment you will conclude that it was a Galamasey or indigenous mining Law. With a good judgment, you should able to tell that the Small Scale Mining law of 1986 was to allow local Goldsmith to obtain gold for their work and not for commercialization or trading of the gold. Hence no regularization of the small scale gold mining activity by law or by an Executive Instrument was enacted by the PNDC or Ghana before 1989.
Our Leaders need to be informed that commercialization of Gold from Small Scale Sector was in 1989 due to as part of Programme of Actions to Mitigate the Social Cost of Adjustment (PAMSCAD) as launched in 1989 by the PNDC, caused the PNDC to initiate the commercialization of gold by the Regularization of Galamasey into Small Scale Gold Mining Law 1989 (PNDCLaw 218) and the establishment of Precious Minerals Marketing Company by the PNDC by Precious Minerals Marketing Law 1989 (PNDC Law 219) with the exclusive right to buy the gold from the small scale sector and export same.
Google for Small Scale Gold Mining Law 1989 (PNDC Law 218) and read through otherwise go to Interpretation at page 5 for Section 21, which interpreted Small Scale Mining as a mining operations without the use of substantial expenditure, without the use of sophisticated technology or equipment and restricted to citizens of Ghana. PNDC law 218 refer the interpretation of Citizen of Ghana to Section 84 (1) of the Minerals and Mining Law 1986 (PNDCLaw 153)
Note, the interpretation of Citizen of Ghana is produced or copied and pasted at page 54 under Section 21 of Minerals and Mining Act 2006 (Act 703). So, the Mining law of Ghana gave the interpretation of a Citizen of Ghana is either an individual Ghanaian or an exclusive Ghanaian Company registered with Company Code 1963 (Act 179) with Ghanaians exclusively as Directors or owners. So why did we allow foreigners in the Small Scale Mining Sector as Service Providers as in 2012 with LI 2174 and as buyers and exporting of gold with Act 900 of 2015.
So, with a critical thinking mindset, or with common sense you should be able to conclude that the Original Mining laws of Ghana which defined Small Scale Mining Operation as a method of mining without substantial expenditure and without the use of sophisticated technology and who (as an individual) or what as a Company), the term Citizen of Ghana implies to totally banned foreigners from operating in the Small Scale Mining Sector.
So, what happened to the environment with the destruction/pollution of rivers and destruction of arable lands and farms especially Cocoa farms and Oil Palm plantations etc hence Agriculture in Ghana between 2012 and 2017 has justified why the ban on small scale mining was put in place by the Colonial masters, It has also justified why the PNDC defined Small Scale Mining operations as method of mining without use of substantial expenditure and without the use of sophisticated technology and restricted to Ghanaians. Among others is to protect the environment and reduce smuggling of gold. So why did we allow foreigners in the Small Scale Mining Sector as Service Providers as in 2012 with LI 2174 and as buyers and exporting of gold with Act 900 of 2015.
So, the First Regime of President Mahama committed a serious blunder by allowing foreigners to operate in the Small Scale Mining Sector as support service providers with Minerals and Mining Support Services Regulation 2012 (LI2174) and as gold buyers and as licensed Gold exporters with the law Minerals and Mining Amendment 2015 (Act 900).
Considering that Mining is a capital intensive, one would be right to say that the Parliament of Ghana before coming out with the GoldBod Law, erred by not repealing the ambiguous Small Scale Mining Law in the Minerals and Mining Act 2006 (Act 703) and come out with Community Small Mining for rural Ghanaians only, thus maintain Precious Minerals Marketing Company for the purchase of the gold from the Community Miners on behalf of the GoldBod for export. Then come out with a separate law as Medium Scale Mining Law for persons who want to accumulate wealth from gold mining to do so. But operators in the Medium Scale Mining Sector must be made to comply with International and local standards in mining, sell their gold to the GoldBod for export. Thus the Medium Scale Mining Law should allow Foreigners participation through partnership with Ghanaians since mining is capital intensive.
Officials in the Kofour’s Regime should be blamed for varying the PNDC Small Scale Mining Law namely Small Scale Gold Mining Law 1989 (PNDCLaw 218) and replacing it with a problematic and ambiguous Small Scale Mining Law as detected by this writer in 2001 and confirmed by seasoned mining scholars especially Dr Tony Aubynn ( Dr Tony Aubyn 2016). Google and Read ‘Review the Small Scale Mining Law’ by Dr Tony Aubynn and also search in the internet for research work by Dr Gavin Hilson and Dr Abigail Hilson, that is Google and Read ‘Gaps in the Ghanaian Authorities understanding of Small Scale Mining and What is Really Small Scale Mining.
As stated Bad Officials in the First Regime of President Mahama should be blamed most for the massive destruction of the environment and cocoa farms by officially allowing foreigners (Chinese, Americans, and Europeans etc) to operate in the Small Scale Mining Sector against the letter and spirit of the Small Scale Mining Law.
As stated by Dr Tony Aubynn and Dr Gavin Hilson, small scale is basically a mining method with no substantial expenditure and no use of Sophisticated Technology or equipment like Excavators, so use they mainly use little capital or with simple tools like pick axes, spades, chisels and such it will take donkeys years to destroy half an acre or small area. This was the wisdom of the PNDC, which made the PNDC as part of win-win solution with the PAMSCAD Policy in 1989 for poverty alleviation to lift the over 100 years ban of Small Scale Mining in Ghana.
A person with a critical thinking mindset can deduce the fear of the Officials in the era of the PNDC, upon reading the interpretation of Small Scale Mining at Section 21 of the Small Scale Mining Law 1989 (PNDC Law 218) before they lifted the over 100 years ban was to protect the environment when they enacted the parent Small Scale Mining Law 1989 (PNDC Law 218),
So they defined Small Scale Mining at Section 21 of PNDC Law 218 of 1989 and banned foreigners from working within the Small Scale Mining Sector. The PNDC established Precious Minerals Marketing Company in 1989 with PMMC Law 1989 (PNDC law 219) with the monopoly or exclusive right to buy and export gold from the Small Scale Mining Sector.
So, both of the Second Regime of President Kofour and the First Regime of President Mahama should be blamed for the aggravation of the Small Scale Mining disaster or the current situation. Note Small Scale Mining is a global disaster. Please Google for ‘Is Small Scale Mining a global disaster’ and read carefully for a good conclusion. The Regime of President Kofour committed a blunder with a problematic and ambiguous small scale mining law.
Mining is capital intensive, so the first regime of President Mahama also committed a serious blunder when some Officials of the Regime motivated Foreigners to bring thousands of excavators and Chafang Machines to support Small Scale Mining effective 2012 against the Small Scale Mining Law which ousted foreigners from working in the sector in whatever manner . The motivation was by the Minerals and Mining Support Services Regulation 2012 (LI 2174) and Ghana Investment Promotions Center Law 2013 (Act 865) which strangely or for reasons best known to the bad Officials they refused or failed to make Small Scale Mining as ‘NO GO AREAS FOR FOREIGNERS’ Thus they violated the Small Scale Mining Law. These two bad law motivated Licensed Small Scale Miners who did not have funds to actual do mining by the establishment of partnership with Foreigners to operate Small Scale Mining. Among the affected Miners include now Hon Mrs Joana Cudjoe, the NPP Woman Organizer, Chairman Wontumi and his Chinese partners or Friends especially Mr Su with Hansol Mining Company, Confirm this by Google and Read President Mahama caused the Burning of Wontumi’s Excavators. Also Google ‘We Do Not Burn Wontumi’s Excavators by Hon Fuseini.
