The flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, has warned that Ghana’s forest reserves will be a no-go area for individuals seeking to carry out mining activities under the next NDC government.
He emphasised that the exploration of mineral resources must not come at the expense of destroying the country’s vegetative cover.
“We are going to ban mining in forest reserves. As for that, it is non-negotiable. The law that amended to allow people to go into forest reserves to do mining will be re-amended to stop it,” he said during a media engagement on July 7.
He stressed that the current number of government officials involved in mining in forest reserves was frightening and pledged that under his administration, no official would be allowed to engage in illegal mining.
The former president said that the menace was impacting climate change in the country.
Mahama said the dry seasons were now getting longer, and the rainy seasons had also changed.
“We don’t want the forest zone to become the savannah zone, we must protect those trees and rebuild those forest reserves,” he added.
He added that his government would also open offices for all the agencies that oversee the mining sector in districts where gold mining takes place.
The NDC flagbearer added that a Minerals Commission office would also be present to ensure enforcement and compliance.
Nonetheless, he vowed to arrest top politicians who are into Galamsey and not just the perpetrators.
“I will grant amnesty to people convicted of Galamsey because those who are imprisoned for Galamsey are not the actual perpetrators of Galamsey…. If somebody must be imprisoned, it must be the DCE’s and ministers who are doing the Galamsey not the people they are employing,” he said.