The Deputy National Director of A Rocha Ghana, Daryl Bosu, has criticized the Mahama government for not taking sufficient action against illegal mining, despite their vocal concerns about the issue when they were in opposition.
Speaking in an interview on TV3 on Thursday, February 20, Mr. Bosu maintained that the Mahama government has waited for too long in addressing matters of illegal mining, noting that the government should have given the same level of priority to combating illegal mining as it did to Operation Recover All Loots (ORAL).
“I think that we have waited for too long. When this government was in opposition, they spoke too loudly about Galamsey. I think coming to the office they should have prioritized galamsey just as they did ORAL. And so for me, I think we have wasted significant time.”
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Mr. Bosu advocates for an immediate intervention by the government considering the fact that more than nine forest reserves have been completely taken over by illegal miners, making it impossible for state agencies to enforce environmental protections.
He believes until the country recognizes illegal mining as a national security threat and takes immediate action to address it, the situation will escalate beyond control, making it even more challenging to resolve the issue as it stands today.
“Until we really see this as a national security issue and with immediate effect, I don’t think we will be able to address this menace as it is now.”
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Background:
The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah Kofi-Buah, revealed on Wednesday, February 19, that out of 288 forest reserves, 44 of them are under serious attack by illegal miners.
He disclosed that the illegal miners are heavily armed, making it extremely challenging for forest guards to confront them.
According to him, over 9 of the 44 forest reserves have been completely overrun by these illegal miners, resulting in the Forestry Commission losing all access to these areas.