Government must ban all mining activities in forest reserves - Gideon Boako

Dr. Gideon Boako has condemned the illegal mining activities in the country.

The spokesperson for the NPP flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, and Tano North parliamentary candidate, speaking on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo' show, stated that illegal mining of all forms must not be tolerated in the country.

He rebuked those mining along the water bodies, stressing, "It is evil to mine in water bodies."

Illegal mining, locally referred to as 'galamsey', is a serious matter of concern to Ghanaians, with some currently staging demonstrations to compel the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to declare a state of emergency and immediately stop all small-scale mining activities.

This resulted in the arrest of over 50 protesters from Democracy Hub, who were remanded for two weeks and have now been granted a GHC 70,000 bail each with two sureties.

However, one of their leaders, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, has been refused bail on the grounds that there is no guarantee he won't commit another wrongdoing, as he was on bail when he illegally removed keys from a parked police van during their Democracy Hub protest.

As galamsey continues to worry Ghanaians, Dr. Gideon Boako believes one of the surest ways to curb the menace is for the government to reintroduce a ban on mining.

He insisted that no one should be allowed to mine in water bodies and the forest.

"With mining in water bodies, it is neither a matter of doing it legally or illegally. It is illegal. It does not have to be endorsed at all, but those with licenses to mine gold in the forest should go by the regulations. However, for me, forest mining should be banned," he said.