President John Dramani Mahama has taken a bold step in Ghana's environmental preservation efforts by issuing a sweeping directive that prohibits government officials from engaging in any form of mining, whether legal or illegal, with immediate effect.
This decisive move is a crucial component of his comprehensive environmental agenda, which includes revoking mining leases in forest reserves and imposing a moratorium on issuing new ones in these protected areas.
Speaking at the launch of the Tree for Life Reforestation Initiative, Mahama reiterated his stance, emphasizing that any government official wishing to venture into mining must first relinquish their government position. "I have directed that no government appointee at any level should engage in any form of legal or illegal mining. If you want to be a miner, leave the government and go and be a miner," he declared, underscoring the importance of maintaining a conflict-free environment.
Mahama warned that any official found violating this directive would face severe repercussions, including immediate dismissal from office.
Furthermore, he instructed security and regulatory agencies to intensify their efforts in combating illegal mining, citing recent successes in reclaiming forest reserves previously devastated by mining activities.
The President described illegal mining as a national crisis, highlighting its far-reaching consequences on the economy, public health, and livelihoods. "Farmers are losing their farmlands, rivers are turning brown and toxic with pollution, and entire communities are being affected," he stated, emphasizing the urgent need for collective actions.
The Tree for Life Reforestation Initiative, a key component of Mahama's 120-day social contract with Ghanaians, aims to restore degraded lands, particularly those affected by illegal mining and deforestation. Lands and Natural Resources Minister Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah underscored the urgency of the program, warning that Ghana's forest cover is depleting at an alarming rate, posing serious ecological risks.
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