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The country’s illegal mining operators have received a severe warning from Hon. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, MP, Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, who has said that the government’s fight against this threat will be unrelenting, retributive, equitable, and uncompromising.
Reclaiming lost forest reserves, repairing the color and quality of water bodies harmed by galamsey activities, and safeguarding biodiversity are among the many objectives the government has set out to accomplish, he said. He underlined that the administration will not slow down until these objectives are met and a long-term, sustainable plan is put into action.
The Lands Minister warned illegal miners nationwide to put down their tools and leave the forest and river areas before they are caught, following a fact-finding mission to the media following a successful operation alongside the Ministries of Defense and Interior to save the Shelter Belt Forest Reserve on Saturday, February 22, 2025. Hon. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah provided additional information about Monday’s operation, stating that illicit mining operations have taken over thirty (30) hectares of land in this region alone. Illegal mining activities in Forest Reserves have resulted in the loss of over 5000 hectares (7,500 football fields) of land nationwide.
He lamented the state of affairs and said that Ghanaians face an existential threat, hence it cannot be allowed to continue. He stated that H. E. President John Dramani Mahama has given him the go-ahead to drive out the illegal miners from the spots.
“With the unwavering support of my colleagues, the Defence Minister, Dr. Omane Boamah, Interior Minister, Hon. Mutaka, and Dr. Frank Amoakohene, we deployed the military to the forests to clamp down on these illegal operations’, the minister said. The Lands Minister disclosed the government’s intentions to use the fifteen excavators that were confiscated during the operation to build roads. He pointed out that the government of H.E. John Dramani Mahama would not dismantle or burn excavators that were seized at galamsey sites; instead, he would use them to build roads around the nation, which he feels is a more creative and deliberate strategy.
“This, however, is not the end. Investigations are ongoing, and we are working closely with the Ghana Armed Forces and the Ghana Police Service to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice. This is not an exercise in futility. We are resolute in our mission. We will not rest until those responsible for this environmental carnage are held accountable, including their accomplices,” he said.
He also emphasized that the government’s efforts to stop illegal mining have only recently begun, but that despite this, operations on the Offin Shelter Belt forest and the Ankobra River, where seven Chinese nationals and eight Ghanaians were arrested, are already showing results.
He also reiterated the necessity of Ghanaians working with the government in the battle, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive army to face and defeat the threat.
“As I have stated before, and I reiterate today, we will not relent in this fight. This is a battle for all of us every Ghanaian who values our environment, our health, and our future. I urge all well-meaning Ghanaians to join us in this critical fight. Together, we can win this war,” the minister added.
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com
