Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Dr. Kenneth Ashigbey, has criticised the government over its failure to revoke Legislative Instrument (LI) 2462, describing the delay as a betrayal of public trust and a threat to Ghana’s forest reserves.
Speaking at a press conference at the International Press Centre, Dr. Ashigbey, who also serves as Convener of the Media Coalition Against Galamsey, recalled that President John Dramani Mahama and other top officials had made public assurances to scrap the controversial regulation, which permits mining in protected forest areas.
“This was communicated through several public declarations by His Excellency the President himself, both before and after the 2024 elections,” Dr. Ashigbey stated.
He further noted that on May 8, 2025, the President’s Special Advisor on Lands and Natural Resources, Prof. Jerry S.Y. Kuma, affirmed that the President had directed a full revocation of the LI.
However, Dr. Ashigbey expressed deep disappointment that, despite these assurances, no formal steps have been taken in Parliament to initiate the revocation process.
“To the best of our knowledge, there is currently no order of business in Parliament reflecting this crucial item,” he said.
He accused the government of “deliberately playing games” with the Ghanaian people and warned that the silence on the matter could not be ignored.
“Our demand for the revocation of LI 2462 still stands. This is not about politics — it’s about protecting Ghana’s forest reserves and the vital ecosystem services they provide,” he emphasised.
Dr. Ashigbey warned that any attempt to merely amend the legislation, rather than revoke it entirely, would be strongly resisted.
“We will not accept an amendment crafted to satisfy the interests of a few individuals while ignoring the national interest. LI 2462 must be revoked — and with urgency.”
With the Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) (Amendment) Regulations, 2025, set to mature and come into force, Dr. Ashigbey cautioned that if the government fails to act, citizens will be compelled to return to court to continue their legal battle.
“That would be most unfortunate,” he added, “especially at a time when Ghanaians are yearning for a genuine reset in governance.”
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