President John Dramani Mahama has officially inaugurated the GoldBod Taskforce, declaring his administration’s strong commitment to transparency, accountability, and professionalism in the fight against illegal gold trading.
Speaking at the launch ceremony in Accra on Tuesday, July 8, President Mahama said the taskforce was designed to safeguard Ghana’s natural resources and restore integrity to the mining sector.
“Every member of the task force will operate under strict oversight,” he stated.
“All officers will wear body cameras in every operation they undertake, and the vehicles used by the taskforce will be GPS tracked and monitored in real-time.”
In a bid to further enhance discipline and operational integrity, the President introduced a procedural safeguard that requires written clearance from the Chief Executive Officer of the taskforce before any field action is undertaken.
“A written warrant from the CEO is required before any field operation is undertaken,” President Mahama emphasized, adding that the directive is to prevent arbitrary actions and reinforce disciplined enforcement mechanisms.
These layered measures are aimed at building public trust while ensuring professionalism throughout the taskforce’s work.
The GoldBod Taskforce is tasked with confronting illegal small-scale mining activities, popularly referred to as galamsey, which have contributed to massive environmental degradation, especially the pollution of rivers and destruction of forest reserves.
Beyond curbing illegal mining, the initiative is expected to recover lost mineral revenue and ensure the state and its citizens benefit more directly from the country’s mineral wealth.
The taskforce is expected to begin its field operations in the coming weeks.
