The Media Coalition Against Illegal Mining has commended the Minister of Environment for initiating steps to revoke Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 2462, which permitted mining activities in forest reserves.
On August 29, 2025, Acting Minister for Environment, Science, and Technology, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, wrote to the Office of the Attorney General requesting the immediate repeal of L.I. 2462 and its amended version, L.I. 2501.
The Coalition described the move as a crucial step in strengthening Ghana’s legal framework against illegal mining (galamsey), which has devastated water bodies and forest reserves.
Speaking to Channel One TV, the Coalition’s Convenor, Ken Ashigbey, urged swift action.
“This is what we want to see—not the situation we had under the obnoxious law that opened even our protected forest reserves for mining. This is a positive step, and we hope the Attorney General will move quickly to make this revocation a reality,” he said.
Mr. Ashigbey, however, expressed concern over the Inspector-General of Police’s decision to dissolve the special task force that had been enforcing environmental laws in mining areas.
He argued that the police should collaborate with the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), noting that many Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) have proven ineffective in addressing the menace.
“MMDCEs have proven they cannot be trusted. Even without the IGP’s task force from Accra, their incompetence is evident. That should not, however, be the reason to withdraw the police team. NAIMOS should instead be resourced with the logistics needed to carry out their mandate,” he stressed.
Source: Adomonline
