Galamsey: Amending LI 2462 will not suffice; a complete repeal is needed

The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has called for a total repeal of Legislative Instrument (LI) 2462, arguing that mere amendments will not be enough to effectively tackle illegal mining, known as galamsey.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, the NPP’s National Communications Director, Richard Ahiagbah, accused the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and its flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama, of failing to take decisive action against illegal mining.

“Mahama is not focused on fighting galamsey,” Ahiagbah asserted. “The NDC government is talking more about fighting galamsey instead of taking real action.”

Meanwhile, efforts to curb illegal mining have intensified in the Ashanti Region, where a special task force led by acting Regional Security Coordinator, Captain (Retired) John Kwame Jabari, has launched a 24-hour joint operation with the Forestry Commission. The crackdown follows an attack on a member of the Forestry Commission’s rapid response team on March 23, 2025.

Addressing the situation on March 24, Captain Jabari emphasized the need for continuous security operations to protect forest reserves from further destruction.

“We have realized that some of them start mining in the evening; during the daytime, they pack their machines. At night, they go and operate, so we are launching a 24-hour exercise to tackle them around the clock,” he explained.

To ensure transparency, Captain Jabari announced plans to invite the media and the Forestry Commission on a tour of the affected areas to provide concrete evidence of the task force’s progress.

“Within the next week, we will take the media around the forest reserves to show them the areas we have reclaimed. This will serve as vivid evidence and not just a social media debate,” he added.

The NPP insists that stronger legal reforms, rather than partial amendments, are necessary to combat illegal mining effectively and safeguard Ghana’s natural resources.