President John Dramani Mahama has declared his intention to cancel all mining leases granted for operations in Ghana’s forest reserves during the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration.
This move is part of a broader effort to safeguard the country’s natural resources and combat environmental destruction caused by illegal and unsustainable mining activities.
Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony of 14 Ministers of State on Thursday, January 30, President Mahama underscored the need for urgent action to halt mining in forest reserves and enforce stricter regulations against violators.
“Honourable Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, as Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, your duty will be to protect our environment from destructive galamsey activities and ensure responsible management of our natural resources,” he stated.
The President further announced a new policy prohibiting the issuance of mining leases in forest reserves, adding that his government would take immediate steps to revoke permits issued under the previous administration.
“It shall be the policy of this government to ban the issuance of leases for mining in all forest reserves. We will also move swiftly to revoke all leases issued under the previous government for this purpose,” Mahama affirmed.
SOURCE: http://dew360.net
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