The Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners (GNASSM) is demanding the immediate release of excavators and machines taken from licensed miners, claiming that some security officers are abusing their powers under the cover of law enforcement.
At a press conference in Kumasi, GNASSM’s National PRO, Abdul Razak Alhassan, said that despite operating legally, many small-scale miners are being harassed, their tools taken, and their businesses disrupted.
“These machines were seized from people who have licenses to mine. This is unfair and must stop now,” Mr. Alhassan stated. “We are not defending illegal mining. We are fighting for those who are doing the right thing.”
He accused some members of the police and other security agencies, working with politically connected individuals, of running illegal taskforces. These groups reportedly storm mining sites, confiscate equipment, and demand illegal payments all without proper checks.
The association said the situation is not only hurting their members but also destroying confidence in Ghana’s legal mining system. They emphasized that the government’s Reset Agenda and efforts to clean up the gold trade will be weakened if these abuses continue.
GNASSM warned that unless the seized machines are released and protocols improved, small-scale miners will keep losing faith in the system. They also proposed that regulatory bodies like the Minerals Commission should be present during taskforce operations to prevent further abuse.
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