President John Dramani Mahama
President John Dramani Mahama has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to restoring forest reserves degraded by illegal mining activities, popularly known as galamsey, through a comprehensive reclamation programme supported by the carbon credit system.
Speaking at the Jubilee House on Friday, May 23, 2025, during a courtesy call by the Catholic Bishops Conference, the former president highlighted the alarming extent of environmental degradation caused by illegal mining.
He described the level of destruction as deeply troubling and emphasized the need for urgent, coordinated efforts.
“Sixteen percent of our forest reserves have been destroyed and encroached upon. It will require both reclamation and rehabilitation of the forests. We intend to carry this out under the carbon credit system,” he stated.
Despite efforts by successive governments, illegal mining activities continue to pose serious challenges across the country.
To strengthen enforcement, the government has launched the Blue Water Guards initiative, an effort aimed at protecting Ghana’s water bodies and supporting operations against galamsey.
This initiative forms part of a broader national strategy to combat illegal mining and promote environmental sustainability.
Watch the video below:
Mahama Vows to Reclaim Galamsey-Damaged Forests:
President Mahama has reaffirmed his commitment to ending illegal mining, assuring the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference that the government is on track to restore all forests devastated by galamsey.#ChannelOneNews | #CitiVerify pic.twitter.com/SF9bpJH5iF— ChannelOne TV (@Channel1TVGHA) May 23, 2025
JKB/MA
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