The Member of Parliament for the Damongo constituency and former Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has called on the John Mahama-led government to fulfill its promise of banning all forms of mining in the country’s forest reserves.
He noted that many Ghanaians voted for President John Dramani Mahama based on this pledge, and the President must honor his commitment by implementing the ban.
Abu Jinapor made these remarks during the vetting of the Minister-designate for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah Kofi-Buah, on Monday, January 27, 2024.
In the lead-up to the general elections, there were widespread calls for the government to ban all forms of mining in forest reserves.
As the sector Minister at the time, Abu Jinapor argued that large-scale mining companies, such as Newmont and AngloGold, had been mining responsibly and sustainably in forest reserves for years.
He contended that a blanket ban on all mining activities in forest reserves would not be feasible.
According to Abu Jinapor, beyond the sustainability of these companies’ operations, they employ thousands of Ghanaians and contribute significantly to the national economy.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC), however, joined calls for a total ban on mining in forest reserves, promising to implement the policy if voted into power.
Speaking at a public lecture at the Christian Service University in Kumasi on June 20, 2024, President Mahama stated, “I will ban all mining in forest reserves because I believe that many of the trees in these reserves, which are more than 700 years old, are more precious assets than any mineral that lies beneath them.”
President Mahama reiterated this promise during an engagement with the media in Accra on July 7, 2024, declaring, “We are going to ban mining in forest reserves. As for that, it is non-negotiable.”
During the vetting on Monday, Abu Jinapor pressed the Minister-designate on whether the NDC would honor its pledge to ban all forms of mining in forest reserves.
In response, Emmanuel Armah Kofi-Buah suggested that large-scale mining companies were not responsible for the destruction of forest reserves, implying that their operations might not be banned.
This prompted Abu Jinapor to remind him that the promise was made to the people of Ghana to secure their votes, and it was incumbent upon the President to fulfill that commitment.
The Minister-designate further stated that he could not confirm whether the government would declare a state of emergency on the matter but assured that, if approved, he would assess the situation and determine the next steps.
Armah Kofi-Buah is expected to take over from Samuel Abu Jinapor following his successful vetting.