The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has dismissed reports suggesting that the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has resigned from the Board of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), describing the claims as false and misleading.
In a statement issued in Accra on Tuesday, the Ministry said media reports and social media publications alleging that the minister had stepped down from the Board did not reflect the facts.
According to the Ministry, Mr. Armah-Kofi Buah remains a member of the GoldBod Board and has not had any disagreement with the institution.
The statement explained that although the minister initially served personally on the Board, he later nominated the Chief Director of the Ministry, Marcus Haligah, to represent him on the Board in January 2026.
The Ministry said the decision was purely administrative and was necessitated by the minister’s demanding schedule and the extensive responsibilities associated with his portfolio.
It noted that at the time, Mr. Armah-Kofi Buah was handling responsibilities across two ministries, making it increasingly difficult for him to personally attend all GoldBod Board meetings and engagements.
“The appropriate institutional arrangement was therefore adopted by designating the Chief Director, a senior official of the Ministry, to represent him,” the statement said.
The Ministry further indicated that the arrangement is consistent with GoldBod’s governance framework, which allows designated representatives to serve on behalf of board members where applicable.
It added that GoldBod had also clarified that the minister’s absence from Board meetings was due to his busy schedule and not because of any resignation or disagreement with the institution.
The Ministry urged the public, media organisations and stakeholders to disregard reports suggesting that the minister had resigned from GoldBod or that his decision to appoint a representative was linked to conflict, dissatisfaction or differences with the Board.
Reaffirming the cordial relationship between the Ministry and GoldBod, the statement highlighted ongoing collaborations between agencies under the Ministry and the Ghana Gold Board.
These include a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ghana Geological Survey Authority (GGSA) and GoldBod to intensify mineral exploration activities, cooperation with the Responsible Cooperative Mining and Development Programme (rCOMSDEP) on responsible mining initiatives, and partnership with the Forestry Commission on land reclamation efforts.
The Ministry also noted that GoldBod had supported the National Alternative Employment and Livelihood Programme (NAIMOS) with vehicles as part of collaborative efforts aimed at strengthening the mining sector.
It stressed that Mr. Armah-Kofi Buah remains committed to the government’s agenda of enhancing Ghana’s gold sector, increasing local value retention, promoting responsible mining and ensuring that the country’s mineral resources contribute meaningfully to national development.
The statement encouraged the public and the media to rely on official communications from the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the Ghana Gold Board on matters relating to the governance and operations of GoldBod.
Leave a Reply