Minister of Information, Fatimatu Abubakar has stated that lands impacted by illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, may require 50 to 100 years to restore their vegetative cover.
Speaking on Adom FM’s Political Talk Show, Burning Issues, on Wednesday, October 16, she highlighted the severe contamination of farmlands due to the chemicals and heavy metals used in illegal mining, such as mercury and cyanide.
This, Madam Abubakar said has destroyed the land so much that even if it is used as a forest reserve, getting the natural soil will be a significant challenge.
“If we choose not to utilize the degraded lands and allow them to recover naturally, it will take 50 to 100 years to regain their vegetative nature,” she stated.
The Information Minister also mentioned that, the Minerals Commission has awarded contracts to reclaim these degraded lands.
Moving forward, she said the government intends to facilitate easier access to mining licenses for those interested in mining to address the galamsey crisis effectively.
The Information Minister also revealed that, government is in the process of laying a Legislative Instrument (L.I.) to revoke mining activities in forest reserves, which aligns with an agreement made with Organized Labour.
Fatimatu Abubakar also addressed the role of community mining in combating galamsey adding that, government has inaugurated 25 community mining sites, with plans to establish even more in the near future.
Watch the video below:
Source: Kwame Kulenu
READ ALSO: