The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has dismissed reports suggesting that the Minister, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has resigned from the Board of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod).
In a statement issued on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, the Ministry described the reports circulating on social media and other platforms as false, stressing that the Minister remains committed to GoldBod and the government’s broader agenda for Ghana’s gold and mining sector.
According to the Ministry, there has been no disagreement, conflict or dissatisfaction between Mr Armah-Kofi Buah and GoldBod.
The Ministry explained that Mr Armah-Kofi Buah initially served personally on the GoldBod Board but subsequently nominated the Ministry’s Chief Director, Marcus Haligah, to represent him on the Board in January 2026.
It said the decision was an administrative arrangement prompted by the Minister’s demanding schedule and the extensive responsibilities attached to his portfolio.
At the time, Mr Armah-Kofi Buah was overseeing responsibilities across two ministries, making it increasingly difficult for him to attend all GoldBod board meetings and engagements personally.
The Ministry said the Minister therefore exercised the appropriate institutional arrangement by designating the Chief Director, a senior official of the Ministry, to represent him.
“This decision was purely administrative and was necessitated by the Minister’s demanding schedule and the extensive responsibilities associated with his portfolio,” the statement said.
It added that the arrangement was consistent with GoldBod’s governance framework, which allows designated representatives to serve on the Board on behalf of members where applicable.
The clarification follows reports suggesting that the Minister’s absence from the GoldBod Board was the result of a disagreement with the institution.
The Lands Ministry rejected that suggestion, saying the Minister’s decision to nominate the Chief Director had no connection to any dispute.
It said a recent clarification issued by GoldBod itself confirmed that Mr Armah-Kofi Buah initially served on the Board personally before nominating the Chief Director because of his inability to regularly attend Board meetings due to his demanding schedule.
The Ministry therefore urged the public, media organisations and other stakeholders to disregard reports that the Minister had resigned from GoldBod or that his representation arrangement was linked to a conflict with the institution.
The Ministry also pointed to several areas of collaboration between its agencies and GoldBod as evidence of what it described as a good working relationship between the two institutions.
It noted that the Ghana Geological Survey Authority (GGSA) had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with GoldBod to intensify exploration activities.
The Ministry also said the Responsible Cooperative Mining initiative, referred to as rCOMSDEP in the statement, was working with GoldBod on responsible mining.
Additionally, GoldBod is collaborating with the Forestry Commission on land reclamation efforts and has supported the National Alternative Employment and Livelihood Programme (NAIMOS) with vehicles as part of joint efforts in the mining sector.
These collaborations, the Ministry said, demonstrate continued institutional cooperation in advancing responsible mining and improving the management of Ghana’s mineral resources.
The Ministry maintained that Mr Armah-Kofi Buah remains committed to the government’s agenda of strengthening Ghana’s gold sector, increasing local value retention and promoting responsible mining.
It said the broader objective is to ensure that Ghana’s mineral resources contribute meaningfully to national development.
The Ministry further appealed to the public and media organisations to rely on official statements from the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and GoldBod when reporting on the governance and operations of the state-owned gold institution.
The statement was signed by Zambaga Rufai Saminu of the Communications Directorate of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources.
The Ministry’s clarification effectively puts to rest reports that Mr Armah-Kofi Buah had resigned from the GoldBod Board, explaining instead that his role has been represented by the Ministry’s Chief Director since January 2026 as an administrative arrangement.
By 1960news.com
