Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, says there has been a major overhaul of the small-scale mining sector, including the revocation of all mining licences issued after December 7, 2024.
The move, he said, is aimed at sanitising the mining industry and ensuring due process is followed in licensing.
Speaking in Parliament yesterday during a question and answer session, the minister explained that a technical review and system review committee had been established to assess all small-scale mining licences.
“We are taking a lot of steps to really sanitse the mining sector, especially the small-scale mining sector, and ensure that small-scale mining activities are done legally in a way that protects our lands, environment, forests, and river bodies,” he stated.
As part of the reform, Mr. Armah Buah indicated that the government had seized equipment from illegal miners, which is currently in the custody of the police.
The minister emphasised that these seizures are part of ongoing legal proceedings.
“These cases are still being prosecuted, and some of the equipment will be used as evidence. Once prosecutions are completed, the government will decide how to put the confiscated equipment to good use,” he added.
Prosecution and Oversight
The minister revealed that he had engaged with the Attorney General’s office to ensure rigorous prosecution of illegal miners.
He acknowledged that while prosecutions are ongoing, he did not have final outcomes yet.
However, he assured Parliament that updates would be sought from the Attorney General and the Ministry of Justice.
Mr. Buah said, to ensure fairness, a technical committee led by the Deputy Minister, Yusif Sulemana, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bole Bamboi, had been tasked with reviewing and validating all existing small-scale mining licences.
“We must ensure that operators are working within the law and complying with environmental guidelines,” he said, noting that the committee’s work is being carried out in collaboration with the Minister of Environment, Science, and Technology.
Reclaiming Forest Reserves
Addressing concerns about illegal mining in forest reserves, the minister reported significant progress in reclaiming nine reserves that had been overrun by illegal miners.
“With support from the military and close collaboration with the Forestry Commission, we have successfully flushed out illegal miners from seven out of nine affected reserves,” he stated.
According to him, surveillance efforts are ongoing to prevent reinvasion of these lands.
In addition to these actions, he said the ministry was working with the Forestry Commission to secure key logistics, including four-wheel drive vehicles and motorbikes, to improve officers’ mobility.
Plans are also underway for refresher training for the Forestry Commission’s rapid response teams, he added.
National Support
In an effort to strengthen enforcement, Mr. Buah said the ministry had engaged the Attorney General to explore the establishment of specialised courts for the swift prosecution of illegal mining cases.
The minister stressed that the fight against illegal mining requires national collaboration.
“This is a fight for all, and I invite my colleagues and all Ghanaians to join in this effort to reclaim our forests and protect our environment,” he urged.
By Ernest Kofi Adu, Parliament House