The Minister-Designate for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has strongly criticized the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration’s approach to combating illegal mining, commonly known as ‘galamsey.’
During his vetting before Parliament’s Appointments Committee on January 27, Mr. Armah-Kofi Buah acknowledged the initial steps taken by the NPP but ultimately deemed their efforts a failure.
“It’s true the NPP administration started very well. There was a ban on mining, initially for six months, which was later extended to nine months,” he stated.
“But after eight years, the results are clear—degraded lands, polluted water bodies, and the destruction of forest reserves. These outcomes show that the fight against galamsey was a failure.”
He condemned the environmental damage caused by illegal mining, particularly the destruction of water bodies, describing the situation as “unacceptable.”
Mr. Armah-Kofi Buah pledged to adopt decisive measures to combat galamsey and implement sustainable strategies to protect Ghana’s environment and natural resources for future generations.
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