Barely a week after officially taking office, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, MP, has hit the ground running, courting the support of the Western Regional House of Chiefs in the government’s renewed fight against illegal mining, also known as galamsey.
On Thursday, February 6, 2025, a Durbar was held in Sekondi-Takoradi in the Western Region where the Minister, an indigene of the region, expressed heartfelt gratitude on behalf of His Excellency, President John Dramani Mahama, and the entire Chiefs and residents of the Western Region for the massive support offered to the party and its candidates in the 2024 elections.
Addressing the Chiefs during the meeting, Armah-Kofi Buah, MP, said the government recognizes the high expectations and responsibilities handed to them by the chiefs and residents of the region, with galamsey at the top of the list of priorities.
He disclosed that his appearance before the distinguished chiefs of the region was to seek their support and buy-in as President Mahama’s government confronts the galamsey canker under the campaign codenamed Operation Heal Ghana.
Mr. Armah-Kofi Buah, who is also the lawmaker for the Ellembelle constituency, asserted that with the Western Region forming the hub of Ghana’s natural resource exploitation, it is essential for the government to engage with them in its drive to reset Ghana’s mining industry.
“I stand before you today to thank you, our esteemed Chiefs and Queen-mothers, and the good people of the Western Region for your overwhelming support for the party and me during the December 7th, 2024 elections, and the tremendous support during my vetting upon my nomination,” he said.
“It is not for nothing that it is said that the best comes from the West. God has been gracious to us and blessed us with an abundance of precious minerals, rich vegetation, and peace-loving people. It is in this sense that the good people of the Western Region are looking to our most revered chiefs and queen-mothers for exemplary leadership, particularly in the fight against illegalities that destroy the precious gifts God has bestowed on us,” he noted.
“Therefore, on behalf of us from this most beautiful region, I would want to implore our traditional leaders to present a united front in leading us to help preserve our region as the shining star of Ghana. Your unity is not just a strength but a necessity to preserve the legacy of this land for future generations. To put it bluntly, the fight against galamsey must be led by our chiefs and traditional authorities in every nook and cranny of this country,” the Minister maintained.
“I was sworn in last week as the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources by the President and assigned this arduous task of driving the campaign to ‘Heal Ghana’ and ‘stop the bleeding’ that galamsey and other illegalities are causing the environment (lands, forests, and water bodies), and as a son of this soil, I came to seek your blessings in navigating the Ministry and to ask for your utmost support to help us reset this nation for good and for our generations yet unborn. The biggest challenges today are illegal mining, the pollution of our precious water bodies, and the degradation of forest reserves.”
The Minister further outlined key features of the government’s new anti-galamsey policy, with a focus on introducing new initiatives, reviewing, and building on existing strategies by the previous government.
“As part of H.E. President Mahama’s government Reset Agenda, several policy options and measures have been outlined to help sanitize the mining sector, particularly the small-scale mining sub-sector. We want to ensure that mining operations are not conducted in unapproved areas, such as water bodies, and that the concession holders rehabilitate impacted areas. It is the view of the government that the current licensing regime can be improved by being more inclusive,” he stated.
“We will strengthen the capacity of mining regulatory operations with quick turnaround times and engage with key stakeholders effectively to ensure efficiency. With Nananom being the real custodians of the land in which the precious minerals are embedded, you must be actively engaged in the pre-and post-licensing period to keep you abreast of happenings in your jurisdictions.
“The Community Mining Scheme in its current form is not transparent and inclusive enough to be able to address the challenges underpinning its formulation. It is highly partisan, exclusive, and defeats its own purpose. We are abolishing it and establishing the Artisanal Small-scale Mining Cooperatives (ASMCs) for community members interested in artisanal small-scale mining. We will facilitate the setting up of mining equipment pools in each small-scale mining district to ensure easy and affordable access to necessary mining equipment,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Minister used his visit to the House of Chiefs to broker peace among the various factions within the Traditional area to ensure that peace and unity prevail in the region, while cautioning against chieftaincy disputes and other issues that could derail the progress of the region.
Nana Kobina Nketsia V, the Paramount Chief (Omanhen) of the Essikado (British Sekondi) Traditional Area in the Western Region, commended Armah-Kofi Buah for taking the initiative to engage the Chiefs on the plans outlined by the government in the fight against illegal mining.
In an open forum, some of the chiefs expressed their reservations about land issues, mining regulations, and other concerns within their respective sub-sectors.
The chiefs further appealed to the Minister to ensure that the works of the Operation Recover All Loot committee extend to land issues in the region and indicated their readiness to help him succeed, as his success would be a significant victory for the Western Region.
The Minister thanked the chiefs and promised to address their concerns and engage them periodically on issues pertaining to his Ministry and the government.
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