The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has dismissed reports and social media publications suggesting that the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, MP, has resigned from the Board of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod).
In a press release dated 29 September 2026, the Ministry stated categorically that the reports are false and do not reflect the facts.
Hon. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah has not resigned from GoldBod, nor has there been any disagreement between him and the Ghana Gold Board.
The Minister, who initially served personally on the GoldBod Board, subsequently nominated the Chief Director of the Ministry, Mr Marcus Haligah, to represent him on the Board in January 2026. This decision was purely administrative and was necessitated by the Minister’s demanding schedule and the extensive responsibilities associated with his portfolio.
At the time, Hon. Armah-Kofi Buah was handling responsibilities across two Ministries, making it increasingly difficult for him to personally attend all Board meetings and engagements of GoldBod. He therefore exercised the appropriate institutional arrangement by designating the Chief Director, a senior official of the Ministry, to represent him.
This arrangement is consistent with the governance framework of GoldBod, which permits designated representatives to serve on the Board on behalf of members where applicable.
The recent clarification by GoldBod itself confirms that the Minister initially served on the Board personally but, due to his busy schedule and inability to attend Board meetings regularly, nominated the Chief Director to represent him.
The Ministry therefore urges the public, media organisations and other stakeholders to disregard reports suggesting that the Minister resigned from GoldBod or that his decision was connected to any disagreement, conflict or dissatisfaction with the institution.
The Ministry enjoys a good working relationship with GoldBod.
The Ghana Geological Survey Authority (GGSA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with GoldBod to intensify exploration of mining activities.
The Responsible Cooperative Mining (rCOMSDEP) is equally working with GoldBod on responsible mining.
GoldBod is working with the Forestry Commission (FC) on land reclamation and has supported NAIMOS with vehicles as part of collaborative efforts.
Hon. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah therefore remains committed to the Government’s agenda of strengthening 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 Ministry further encourages 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 concerning the governance and operations of GoldBod.
The statement was issued by Zambaga Rufai Saminu of the Communications Directorate, Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Accra.
