Administrator of the Minerals Development Fund (MDF), Dr. Hanna Louisa Bissiw-Kotei, has issued warning to those undermining the country’s fight against illegal mining, stating emphatically that the government will not relent in its efforts to hold environmental offenders accountable.
Speaking in an interview on 3FM Sunrise on June 30, following backlash over a viral video on her confrontation with illegal miners, Dr. Bissiw-Kotei said anyone aligned with what she called “environmental terrorism” should prepare to face the consequences.
“Those who are bleeding, you can continue to bleed if you are part and parcel of these environmental terrorists; we will come after you,” she declared.
She further dismissed suggestions that her actions were overly dramatic, stating that she is fully committed to protecting Ghana’s natural resources, even at great personal risk.
“To put my life on the line and for people to call what I am doing drama, then they can continue, because I will not stop,” she said.
“Let’s be serious for once.” Dr. Bissiw-Kotei also called out sections of the public and political actors who she says demand action from the President but turn around to attack his appointees when tough decisions are made in the national interest.
“Don’t cry on the President. Don’t call him names. Don’t demand things from him. When you see any of his appointees working and it affects you, then you start saying things. You are a hypocrite,” she stated bluntly.
Her comments come amid growing debate over the intensity and visibility of the government’s fight against galamsey, which continues to pollute rivers, destroy farmlands, and displace communities.
While some citizens have praised her hands-on approach, others say it risks politicising what should be a technically coordinated and law-enforced operation. Nonetheless, Dr. Bissiw-Kotei insists her resolve remains firm and that she is acting not for applause, but “for God and country.”
