Political science lecturer and CEO of the Ghana Shippers Authority, Professor Ransford Gyampo, has praised government’s decision to initiate steps toward repealing the law that allows mining in forest reserves.
Speaking on the matter on the KeyPoints on November 1, Prof. Gyampo said the repeal marks a significant shift in Ghana’s fight against illegal mining, also known as galamsey.
According to him, the very law that opened the door for mining in protected forests has long undermined efforts to protect the environment.
“The law itself that allowed people to go into the forest to mine must be repealed. I’m happy that a motion has been tabled before Parliament for its repeal,” he said.
Prof. Gyampo criticized those who accuse the government of being inactive in the fight against illegal mining, pointing out that some of them were behind the same law that encouraged environmental destruction.
“Those saying the government is not doing anything are the same people who made the law that allowed people to destroy the forests. Now, this government is correcting that mistake by working to repeal it, and that is commendable,” he added.
He stressed that the fight against galamsey should not be politicized but rather seen as a collective national duty.
“This fight must bring all of us together to support the government to ensure that we win, because illegal mining poses a major threat to our survival,” he stated.
Prof. Gyampo urged full commitment to the process and called for strict enforcement once the repeal is passed, emphasizing that no one should be allowed to mine in forest reserves again.
“This shouldn’t be one of those policies that are announced and never implemented. We must see it through to ensure no one gets into the forest to mine,” he concluded.
