President Mahama detailed significant measures against illegal mining, including seizing hundreds of machines and firearms, clearing forest zones, and launching land reclamation projects to restore environmental damage.

President John Dramani Mahama has disclosed that the government has seized 135 excavators and nearly 200 firearms as part of efforts to combat illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.

He said more than 8,200 items, including changfan machines, excavators and other equipment used in illegal mining, had been confiscated under the enforcement operations.

We have achieved some successes in the fight against illegal mining. We have confiscated more than 8,200 items. This includes changfan machines, excavators and other equipment used in illegal mining.
Speaking at the Mining in Motion Conference in Accra on Monday, 19 October, Mahama said the measures had contributed to progress in the fight against illegal mining, including efforts to clear miners from forest reserves previously designated as security red zones.

“We have achieved some successes in the fight against illegal mining. We have confiscated more than 8,200 items. This includes changfan machines, excavators and other equipment used in illegal mining,” he said. 

“We’ve confiscated 135 excavators that were being used in illegal mining, and we have retrieved almost 200 firearms that the people involved in illegal mining had,” he added.

The President said illegal miners had encroached on 48 of Ghana’s 288 forest reserves, with nine designated as red zones because armed miners posed a threat to forest guards and enforcement officers.

He said all nine red zones had since been cleared of illegal miners, with preparations underway to reclaim the affected areas.

“I’m happy to note that of those nine red zones, we have cleared all of them of illegal miners and are currently preparing those forest reserves for reclamation,” he said.

Mahama estimated that illegal mining had destroyed approximately 12,000 acres of land nationwide, adding that the government was pursuing measures to restore degraded areas.

He commended mining company Newmont for its reclamation work on mined-out land, where crops had been planted as part of efforts to restore the affected areas.

The President also cited a reclamation project involving 253 acres of land degraded by illegal mining in the Tano Nimri Forest, which he said had been awarded by the Ghana Gold Board to the Ghana Armed Forces.

“That work is ongoing,” he said.

He further disclosed that GH¢200 million had been allocated to reclaim 5,000 acres of degraded land, with the exercise expected to begin next year.

Mahama commended the Ministers of Lands and Natural Resources and Finance for supporting the reclamation initiative.

On efforts to monitor excavators and prevent their diversion into illegal mining, the President said 6,060 excavators had been registered and detained at the ports, while 2,059 had been fitted with tracking devices.

He said the tracking systems would help authorities identify where the machines were being used and strengthen monitoring and enforcement against illegal mining.

The measures form part of the government’s broader efforts to curb galamsey, protect forest reserves and restore land degraded by mining activities.

Source: Asaaseradio