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Excavator Scandal: Fresh Demands for Minister Buah’s Interdiction Amid Galamsey Cover-Up Allegations
Pressure is intensifying on government to demonstrate transparency in the unfolding galamsey excavator scandal, with opposition lawmakers, civil society, and security analysts demanding the immediate interdiction of Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Armah Kofi Buah.
The controversy stems from allegations that 41 seized excavators in Tarkwa were illegally released following backroom dealings involving high-ranking officials. Reports suggest that soldiers tasked with guarding the machines at Simpa Junction were falsely branded “rogue elements” to divert attention from those who allegedly facilitated the release.
Security insiders insist the officers were acting under legitimate orders and cannot be blamed for political interference. “If these men are guilty, name them. But if they were obeying authority, then the real culprits are those who ordered the release,” an anti-galamsey advocate remarked.
Documents indicate AU Fields Ltd had secured a formal mining support services agreement with Adamus Company Ltd to clear illegal miners, with National Security support. However, the operation on June 23, 2025, became controversial after Capt. Komlagah, who led a parallel military team, shifted his justification—first citing the Presidency, then Minister Buah and his brother Col. Buah.
Col. Buah, later appointed as head of the hurriedly-formed National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), is alleged to have backdated his appointment letter and attempted multiple times to secure the excavators’ release. Critics say this indicates a well-coordinated scheme to protect politically connected galamsey operators.
Civil society organisations are now urging President Mahama to dissolve NAIMOS and launch a full-scale independent probe, warning that continued silence will erode public confidence in government’s commitment to fighting illegal mining.