‘Stop overthinking, Sammy Gyamfi spoke simple language not PhD thesis’ — Franklin Cudjoe on galamsey formalisation comments
The Founding President of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, has defended Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) Chief Executive Officer Sammy Gyamfi over his comments on formalising unlicensed artisanal and small-scale mining operations, popularly known as galamsey.
His defence follows public criticism of Sammy Gyamfi’s position that unlicensed miners operating outside prohibited and environmentally sensitive areas could qualify for formalisation under a government programme.
The controversy followed the circulation of a video excerpt of Mr Gyamfi’s remarks at a mining engagement at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in March 2026.
Some civil society organisations have criticised the position, arguing that mining outside protected areas does not automatically make an operation legal.
However, in a social media post on Monday, October 26, the policy analyst urged critics to understand the substance of Sammy Gyamfi’s argument rather than overcomplicate it.
“Stop overthinking. Sammy Gyamfi spoke simple language. This is not a PhD thesis!” he wrote.
Mr Cudjoe explained that formalisation involves transitioning informal or unlicensed miners into a regulated system with the necessary legal authorisations, environmental safeguards and monitoring.
He said the GoldBod CEO had identified three categories of mining that should not qualify for formalisation: operations that affect water bodies, mining within forest reserves, and mining in dangerous community locations such as roadsides and school lands.
According to Mr Cudjoe, operations outside these prohibited areas could proceed to the next stage of assessment for formalisation, subject to the applicable legal and regulatory requirements.
“If an operation is found in any of these zones, it is shut down permanently. If it operates outside these zones, it transitions to the next phase,” he stated.
Sammy Gyamfi has maintained that the government’s Responsible Cooperative Mining and Skills Development Programme (rCOMSDEP) is intended to transform eligible unlicensed miners into licensed and responsible operators.
He has also argued that formalisation offers a more sustainable approach than relying solely on security operations to pursue unlicensed miners.