Forest Reserve
President John Mahama has said government will ban the issuance for licenses for mining in forest reserves across the country.
His comment follows report that over 50 acres of Tano Anwia Forest reserved have been destroyed by illegal miners.
Some Illegal miners have also recently invaded the Atewa and Aowin Forest reserves with their activities.
Swearing in new ministers in Accra on Thursday (30 January), Mahama said any appointee found culpable of engaging illegal or small scale mining will be sanctioned.
”Let me take this opportunity to state that it shall be the policy of this government to ban the issuance of leases for mining in all forest reserves.
”We shall also move promptly to revoke all leases issued for the same purpose under the previous government. In addition, let me state categorically that this government has not given any person or group of persons, any authority, to carry out any form of mining in these forest reserves as recently reported.”
”I urge the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Minister for the Interior, Attorney General and Minister for Justice to take immediate steps to ensure the arrest and prosecution of any persons or group of persons engaged in this illegality. I also need to state here that no member of this Government is permitted to engage in any form of illegal activity,” Mahama said.
Listen to John Mahama in the attached audio clip below:
Watch the swearing in the attached video clip below:
Reporting by Fred Dzakpata
