President John Dramani Mahama has cautioned appointees of his government not to engage in any form of mining or risk being dismissed.
Speaking at the launch of a land restoration initiative at Nkawie in the Atwima Nwabiagya South Municipality, the President made it clear that no government appointee should participate in either legal or illegal mining.
“I have directed that no government appointee at any level should engage in any form of legal or illegal mining. If you want to be a miner, leave government and go and be a miner,” he declared, drawing a thunderous applause from the gathering in appreciation of his firm stance on illegal mining.
For emphasis, the President reiterated that any appointee found violating the directive would face swift and severe sanctions, including removal from office.
A bold step towards land restoration
The ‘Tree for Life Reforestation Initiative,’ which aims to restore Ghana’s degraded lands, is one of President Mahama’s 120-day social contracts with Ghanaians.
The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources is implementing the initiative as part of its transformational landscape restoration efforts to heal and harness the environment.
The project will primarily target areas heavily degraded by illegal mining and other causes of deforestation.
Ongoing efforts to combat illegal mining
President Mahama also disclosed that he had instructed security and regulatory agencies to intensify their operations against illegal mining.
He revealed that seven out of nine “no-go zone” forest reserves that had been under siege by illegal miners had been successfully reclaimed. Authorities are now focused on reclaiming the remaining two.
As part of these operations, security forces have seized 55 excavators, three bulldozers, three pickup trucks, four pump-action rifles, and eleven motorbikes.
A Historic step for environmental protection
Describing the Tree for Life Reforestation Initiative as a historic step towards environmental protection, President Mahama reiterated the government’s commitment to reclaiming degraded lands.
He highlighted that illegal mining had become a national crisis, posing a severe threat to the economy, public health, and the Ghanaian way of life.
“Farmers are losing their farmlands, rivers are turning brown and toxic with pollution, and entire communities are being affected,” the President lamented.
Urgent need for ecological restoration
Mr. Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, stressed that Ghana’s forest cover has been depleting at an alarming rate, threatening the very foundation of the ecosystem.
He emphasized that the initiative comes at a crucial time when urgent action is needed to address ecological challenges such as illegal mining, deforestation, and climate change.
“This initiative envisions transforming heavily degraded areas into functional and vibrant ecosystems that support biodiversity and human livelihoods,” the Minister stated.
He added that the initiative also aims to raise environmental awareness about the importance of tree planting and enhancing biodiversity through ecosystem restoration.
