Accra, Oct. 12, GNA–Mr Benito Owusu-Bio, a Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, has warned illegal miners to stay off forest reserves since the Ministry would not relent in its efforts to drive them out.
“No matter who you are, we don’t care, if you enter the forest reserves, we will drive you out and sanction you as well,” he said.
The Deputy Minister explained that the forest reserves were not for mining unless the Lands Minister had granted a license to do so.
He cited the Chirano Mines and Newmont Ghana, which had been granted legal licences to operate in forest reserves.
“That doesn’t mean that anyone can just jump into the forest to mine. If we find you like that, we will deal with you,” Mr Owusu-Bio added.
The Deputy Minister said this when he paid a working visit to Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve in the Amenfi West Municipality of the Western Region on Tuesday to ascertain the veracity of news that Akonta Mining Company was still operating in the forest reserves.
On September 30, 2022, the Lands Minister directed the Forestry Commission to halt the operations of Akonta Mining Limited, a mining firm owned by Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, alias Chairman Wontumi, in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve.
After undertaking an aerial view of the entire forest, Mr Owusu-Bio spotted three sites within the forest reserve with some equipment but no operations.
The Deputy Minister, therefore, charged the forestry officers to burn and decommission the equipment.
The team also discovered a different group of illegal miners working along the banks and edges of a river.
Per a map guiding the aerial view of the forest, it revealed that 98 per cent of the miners were outside the restricted area, while the remaining two per cent were working in the Forest Reserves.
The team, however, could not determine which mining company the miners were working for.
Mr Owusu-Bio gave the assurance that the Ministry would take the matter seriously and halt all illegal activities ongoing in the river.
The Forestry Commission and Samartex, a timber firm operating in the area, would soon beef up the number of forest guards patrolling the 300 square kilometre forest reserve with support from the military, Mr Owusu-Bio assured.
The Deputy Minister indicated that the Ministry and the Forestry Commission, with support from the military, would soon embark on similar operations in all forest reserves across the country to rid them of all illegal activities.
Mr Owusu-Bio called on the community members and traditional leaders in the Amenfi West Municipality to join forces to fight against illegal mining in the forest reserves.
Mr John Allotey, the Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, gave a detailed account of the extent of devastation caused in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve.
He noted that out of 205 square kilometres about 0.12 square kilometres of the Forest Reserve had been degraded by illegal mining activities.
He gave assurance that the Commission is committed to enforcing the Lands Minister’s directive and that those found culpable will be dealt with accordingly.
GNA