The Minister-Designate for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has vehemently criticized the former administration of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for their handling of illegal mining, also known as ‘galamsey.’
In his appearance before Parliament’s Appointments Committee on January 27, Mr. Armah-Kofi Buah acknowledged the initial measures implemented by the NPP, but ultimately deemed their approach a failure.
“It’s true the NPP administration started very well. There was a ban on mining, initially for six months, which was later extended to nine months,” he stated.
“But after eight years, the results are clear—degraded lands, polluted water bodies, and the destruction of forest reserves. These outcomes show that the fight against galamsey was a failure.”
Mr. Armah-Kofi Buah strongly criticized the environmental harm caused by illegal mining, specifically the devastation of water bodies, labeling the situation as “unacceptable.”
He vowed to take firm actions to address galamsey and establish long-term strategies to safeguard Ghana’s environment and natural resources for the benefit of future generations.
