President Mahama bans government appointees from mining

President John Dramani Mahama has issued a strong warning to government appointees, prohibiting them from engaging in any form of mining, legal or illegal, with immediate effect. 

Addressing a gathering at the launch of the ‘Tree for Life Reforestation Initiative’ in the Atwima Nwabiagya South Municipality, the President made it clear that any official who wishes to mine must resign from government.

“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, receiving a thunderous applause from the audience.

Reaffirming his commitment to curbing illegal mining, President Mahama warned that any appointee found flouting this directive would face swift and severe sanctions, including dismissal from office. He also instructed security and regulatory agencies to intensify their crackdown on illegal mining activities, citing recent successes in reclaiming seven out of nine "no-go zone" forest reserves that had been under siege by illegal miners.

As part of these enforcement efforts, authorities have seized 55 excavators, three bulldozers, three pickup trucks, four pump-action rifles, and 11 motorbikes. The President described illegal mining as a national crisis that threatens the economy, public health, and livelihoods of Ghanaians.

“Farmers are losing their farmlands, rivers are turning brown and toxic with pollution, and entire communities are being affected,” he lamented.

The ‘Tree for Life Reforestation Initiative,’ which is one of President Mahama’s 120-day social contracts with Ghanaians, is being implemented by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources. It aims to restore degraded lands, particularly those affected by illegal mining and deforestation, and forms part of the government’s broader environmental restoration efforts.

Lands and Natural Resources Minister Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah highlighted the urgency of the initiative, emphasizing that Ghana’s forest cover was depleting at an alarming rate, posing severe ecological risks.

“This initiative envisions transforming heavily degraded areas into functional and vibrant ecosystems that support biodiversity and human livelihoods,” he stated.

The Minister further noted that the program would not only help reclaim damaged lands but also raise environmental awareness, promote tree planting, and enhance biodiversity through ecosystem restoration.