The John Dramani Mahama-led government has reaffirmed its commitment to combating illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, with Environment Minister Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed stressing that no one will be shielded not even politically exposed individuals.
This assurance comes amid growing public pressure and scrutiny over the government’s approach to addressing the destructive practice.
Speaking to the media, Minister Muhammed revealed that investigations are ongoing into several cases, including a petition filed by the Coalition Against Illegal Mining against Aowin Member of Parliament, Oscar Ofori Larbi. The Coalition has accused the government of dragging its feet in dealing with individuals with political influence.
In addition to the petition, the Coalition is calling for the repeal of Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 2462, arguing that it grants excessive discretionary power in the issuance of mining permits.
Although the Minister did not commit to repealing the L.I., he noted that a new regulation L.I. 2463 has already removed the President’s power to authorize mining activities within forest reserves.
In a separate development, Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, Tong Defa, rejected assertions that Chinese nationals are the main drivers of illegal mining in the country. He claimed that those arrested are often migrant workers brought into Ghana by local collaborators and expressed concern over the poor conditions and inadequate food provided to them in Ghanaian prisons.
