Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr Frank Amoakohene is under fire for giving illegal miners operating in forest reserves in the region two weeks to leave.
A number of Ghanaians believe the minister got it wrong, and does not show his desire to fight the galamsey menace in the region.
The order
At a media engagement on February 6, 2025, the minister mentioned some moves to rid the forest reserves of galamsey. “Illegal miners in our forest reserves have two weeks to leave,“ he stated.
Reactions
However, the reactions have been largely against the minister’s two-week order. On JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, February 8, a former Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Inusah Fuseini said it is unimaginable for the regional minister to give illegal miners time to fold up.
According to him, giving the galamseyers time to pack off the sites only exposes weakness in enforcement efforts. “We don’t give criminals time to prepare. If someone defecates in your backyard and you catch them, you don’t give them time to clean it up. You order them to do it immediately,” he pointed out.
The former minister warned that such delays allow offenders to exploit loopholes in the system, making the fight against galamsey less effective.
A contributor on Facebook queried: “Does the regional minister know the devastation illegal miners can do to the environment in two weeks. Does he know the quantum of hole these guys can mine illegally in two weeks?
