Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has disclosed that Ghana’s fight against illegal mining under the previous Nana Akufo-Addo administration was crippled by weak enforcement, with just 4% of arrests leading to prosecution.
Speaking at a stakeholder engagement on illegal mining convened by President John Dramani Mahama in Accra on Friday, October 3, the Minister revealed that out of 845 arrests made between 2023 and 2024, only 35 were successfully prosecuted.
“And yet, law enforcement was weak,” Mr. Buah said, lamenting the slow pace of investigations and the lack of political will among key institutions. He stressed that the situation left illegal miners emboldened while communities and the environment suffered devastating consequences.
The Minister highlighted shocking statistics about the scale of environmental destruction.
“When I walked into office, I was briefed that 44 of the 288 forest reserves had been completely destroyed, that is 16% of our reserves gone,” he noted.
He added that in the same period, Ghana imported GH¢6.5 billion worth of excavators, the highest import value for 2024, fueling the destruction.
According to him, directives under the previous administration even barred the Ghana Army from entering forest reserves, giving illegal miners free rein. “The consequences are dire. 5,500 hectares of pristine forest reserves have been completely destroyed equivalent to 7,500 football fields,” he cautioned.
Mr. Buah further explained that the Forestry Commission has now classified nine major reserves as “red zones” where neither the Commission nor the army could safely operate. “This is the deepest we have sunk,” he said, describing the level of damage as unprecedented.
He listed some of the worst-hit areas, including Gemrara, Afar Hills, Tano Amuya, Amuya’s East and the Finnish Shelter Belt, where the devastation had made entry nearly impossible. “Just two weeks ago, when the National Anti-Illegal Mining Taskforce attempted to re-enter the shelter belt, it was clear the destruction had not stopped,” the Minister added.
Mr. Buah warned that restoring the damaged reserves would require billions of cedis, given that the extent of destruction is equivalent to thousands of football fields. He said the classification of forest zones by the Forestry Commission now ranges from “no-go areas” marked in red, to green zones where some control can still be exercised.
“This is what we came to meet. This is the deepest we have sunk,” he concluded, stressing the urgent need for a stronger, coordinate we d national response to the galamsey menace.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
