A member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Communications Team, Lawratu Musah Saaka, has questioned the practicality of the government’s anti-illegal mining agenda, arguing that the failure to protect existing lands will make future reclamation efforts extremely costly.
Speaking on GHToday with Lily Mohammed on Wednesday, 21 January 2026, Saaka said the state risks spending huge sums restoring environmental damage if decisive action is not taken now to secure forest reserves, farmlands, and water bodies.
She pointed to the financial burden associated with land restoration as evidence that prevention should be prioritised over delayed intervention.
“It takes roughly 120 million dollars to reclaim three thousand hectares of land, a lot of money. So if we can’t safeguard what is already there, and now the people supposed to be safeguarding it are being killed, what hope do we have?” she asked.
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Saaka argued that beyond policy promises, the safety of officers deployed to protect natural resources must be guaranteed, warning that continued attacks on security personnel weaken the fight against illegal mining.
She also contrasted the current approach with initiatives implemented under previous NPP administrations, noting that programmes such as the Livelihood Empowerment interventions focused on reclamation and sustainable mining offered more concrete outcomes.
According to her, the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) must move beyond what she described as symbolic measures and demonstrate visible, aggressive action if it intends to fulfil its manifesto pledge to wage a “ruthless war” against galamsey.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh/Barbara Yeboah
