The Extraction Accountability Project (TEAP), a newly formed advocacy group comprising of Ghanaian youth, today launched a scathing campaign against what it terms the “plague of irresponsible mining.” The group directly accused Godwin N. Armah, the General Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Small-Scale Miners (GNASSM), of gross hypocrisy and extensive environmental destruction.
During a press conference, Charles McCarthy, speaking on behalf of TEAP, declared the organization’s resolute mission: “to identify and expose the industry players, government officials, and political actors who continue to exploit resources with reckless abandon.” He further stated the group’s intention to adopt a “name-and-shame approach,” reinforcing its claims with “hard evidence—video documentation that captures the very acts of destruction.”
TEAP initiated its campaign by focusing on Ghana’s Eastern Region, specifically targeting Armah. As General Secretary of GNASSM since 2020 and the founder of Transeco Minerals and Mining Limited, Armah holds a prominent position within the small-scale mining sector. TEAP starkly contrasted GNASSM’s stated mission—to promote responsible mining and eliminate illegal practices—with Mr. Armah’s alleged on-the-ground conduct.
The youth group underscored Armah’s significant influence as a GNASSM figurehead, questioning the overall integrity of the industry if its top leadership fails to uphold responsible mining standards. TEAP also expressed profound outrage over Mr. Armah’s appointment to GOLDBOD, a board specifically mandated to safeguard environmental stewardship within the mining sector.
“But at the heart of this organisation sits a man who has turned these noble ideals into a hollow charade—Godwin N. Armah, the General Secretary of GNASSM since 2020 and the founder of Transeco Minerals and Mining Limited. Mr Armah is a man who publicly condemns irresponsible mining, wearing the garb of a righteous crusader. But on the ground, his actions speak louder than any sanctimonious speech. The group revealed”.
“His mining sites in Nsuapemso, Kyebi Adadeatem, and Osino, there is no semblance of responsible mining. The landscape is scarred by open pits death traps for both people and wildlife. There is no sign of reclamation, no effort to restore what has been so wantonly destroyed. This is not just an oversight or negligence it is a brazen betrayal of the very values Mr Armah claims to champion.”
The group issued a stern warning that while responsible miners often face persecution, the real culprits—those mining in forest reserves and poisoning water bodies—are shielded by powerful figures, including individuals within National Security, government ministers, and other high-ranking officials. TEAP unequivocally vowed to “blow your cover” if this protection continues.
TEAP made direct appeals to key government officials, including Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, the Minister of Finance; Emmanuel Armah Buah, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources; and Sammy Gyamfi, CEO of GOLDBOD. The group urged them to act swiftly and decisively by removing Mr. Armah from the GOLDBOD, asserting that anything less is complicity.”
The group demanded that the Minerals Commission immediately revoke Mr. Armah’s mining licence, arguing that he has forfeited any right to operate in our precious land.” The group concluded by reiterating that its objective is not to publicly convict Mr. Armah but to “sound the alarm and call upon those with the power and the responsibility to act” against what it considers an “existential threat to the future.
Story By: Eugenia Ewoenam Osei
