The Ghana Coalition Against Galamsey (GCAG) has called on President John Dramani Mahama to fulfill his campaign promise to revoke Legal Instrument (LI) 2462, which permits mining in forest reserves.
The coalition’s convener, Dr. Kenneth Ashigbey, emphasized that the government must scrap LI 2462 entirely, rather than amending it, to protect Ghana’s natural resources.
Dr. Ashigbey expressed deep concern about police complicity in shielding illegal miners, particularly Chinese nationals. He cited instances where police allegedly protected Chinese nationals engaged in galamsey, describing it as “a demonstration of complicity” and “a disgrace to the national security apparatus”.
The coalition demands immediate and transparent investigations into police officers involved in shielding illegal miners, as well as interdiction and prosecution of complicit officers.
The GCAG’s demands underscore the need for accountability and enforcement of laws protecting Ghana’s natural resources.
The coalition welcomes the arrest of a director of Akonta Mining Ltd but demands the prosecution of all directors involved. It also expresses outrage over reports implicating officials from the ruling NDC in illegal mining operations.
The Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences has also demanded a binding presidential policy to prohibit all forms of mining, exploration, prospecting, and extraction in forest reserves across Ghana.
The academy emphasized the need to protect these resources for future generations, as mandated by the constitution. Key demands include the termination of all ongoing mining and prospecting operations within forest reserves.
The coalition has renewed its call for a state of emergency in illegal mining zones, proposing military deployment, drone surveillance, and asset freezes as part of a robust response to restore order. This comes amid rising concerns over ineffective enforcement and the devastating impact of galamsey on Ghana’s ecological reserves.
