The Extraction Accountability Project (TEAP), a coalition of committed Ghanaian youth, is sounding the alarm over the growing crisis of irresponsible and illegal mining. TEAP is determined to confront the environmental devastation caused by these practices, which continue to destroy Ghana’s lands, rivers, and forests.
At a press conference held on May 27, 2025, at the International Press Centre in Accra, TEAP’s General Secretary, Mr. Charles MacCarthy, presented compelling evidence implicating key industry and political figures in illegal mining operations. Chief among them is Mr. Godwin Nii Armah, who the group claims is at the center of widespread environmental degradation.
Mr. Armah, currently a member of the Gold Board (GOLDBOD), is also the General Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners (GNASSM) and the founder of Transeco Minerals and Mining Limited. TEAP alleges that while Mr. Armah publicly promotes responsible mining, he privately oversees illegal and environmentally destructive operations in the Eastern Region—including Osino, Kyebi Adadeatem, and Nsuapemso.
According to TEAP, the affected areas bear the scars of illegal activity: open pits left unreclaimed, contaminated water bodies, and decimated landscapes. “This is not an accident,” Mr. MacCarthy said. “This is a willful and continuous betrayal of the very values Mr. Armah claims to uphold.”
The organisation argues that Mr. Armah’s leadership at GNASSM—a body tasked with promoting responsible small-scale mining—has become a façade, shielding illicit operations behind a mask of respectability. TEAP expressed particular outrage that someone accused of such violations holds a seat on the Gold Board, an institution meant to oversee ethical practices in the mining sector.
“We find it abhorrent that a man who leaves our environment in ruins is sitting on a board meant to protect it,” Mr. MacCarthy stated. “In truth, Mr. Armah’s rightful place is not in a boardroom, but in a courtroom. Possibly a prison cell.”
TEAP also claims that Mr. Armah operates under the protection of powerful political and security figures, while genuinely responsible miners are harassed and persecuted. The group warned that if the state continues to protect such individuals, they will begin exposing those involved, regardless of rank or position.
“This is a final warning. We know who backs them—from National Security operatives to ministers and beyond. If you continue shielding them, we will blow your cover,” MacCarthy declared.
In a direct appeal, TEAP called on key government officials to take immediate action. These include:
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Dr. Ato Forson, Minister of Finance
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Hon. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, Minister for Lands and Natural Resources
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Sammy Gyamfi, CEO of GOLDBOD
“We hope you were previously unaware of Mr. Armah’s activities,” TEAP stated. “Now that you know, you must act—swiftly and decisively. Remove him from the Gold Board. Anything less is complicity.”
TEAP also demanded that the Minerals Commission revoke Mr. Armah’s mining license, stating that he has forfeited any right to operate in Ghana’s extractive sector.
“Let it be clear,” Mr. MacCarthy concluded, “our aim is not to convict Mr. Armah in the court of public opinion. It is to sound the alarm and call upon those with the power—and the duty—to act. Irresponsible mining is an existential threat to our future. It must be stopped, no matter who is behind it.”
