Environmental journalist Erastus Asare Donkor has alleged that either President John Dramani Mahama is being misled about the true state of illegal mining, or he is deliberately downplaying the crisis.
Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, Erastus argued that illegal miners are only removed from forest reserves when the Inspector-General of Police’s (IGP) special taskforce intervenes, citing the recent operation in Samreboi as an example.
“In Samreboi, the illegal miners could not be removed until the IGP’s taskforce moved in. They cleared the Tano enclave and seized more than 100 excavators,” he said.
Erastus expressed disappointment that, despite these successes, some officials continue to discredit the taskforce’s work. “It is like giving a dog a bad name just to hang it. People treat this as hearsay, but anyone who doubts me should send soldiers to go and verify,” he stated.
He further questioned why the government allows excavators into forest reserves despite strict laws governing these areas.
“We have laws against mining in forest reserves. Even under L.I 2462, access is reserved for specialised, large-scale projects and follows a rigorous process that takes years. If party members are still mining there, then what is the relevance of the law?” he asked.
President Mahama, in a recent media encounter, said he was exploring all available alternatives in the fight against galamsey before considering a declaration of a state of emergency.
Source: Gertrude Otchere
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