Galamsey: Abu Jinapor never picked my calls after he gave his number – Erastus Asare Donkor

The 2022 Ghana Journalist of the Year, Erastus Asare Donkor, has shared a rather contrasting account of the relationship he has with the current Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, as compared with his predecessor.

According to the journalist, while Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah has, since his appointment, maintained an open line of communication with him, the situation was different with Samuel Abu Jinapor, who was the minister under the erstwhile Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government.

"In the previous administration, though the minister for lands then, Abu Jinapor, gave me his number and said I should call him, he never picked any of my calls. Armah-Kofi Buah called me the day he was appointed to head the ministry. He had a simple message: 'I need you to help me fight this canker (galamsey),'" he wrote in a Facebook post on Monday, March 10, 2025.

The investigative journalist, who has been at the forefront of the fight against illegal mining, was reacting to sentiments of his perceived dislike for the new minister amidst his renewed calls on the government to take drastic actions against illegal mining.

"Some of you have inundated my socials with ill-informed views that I hate the lands minister and I want the president to sack him. Some have also said I'm jumping the gun. In Twi, 'me pere dodo,'" he wrote.

He emphasised that the current minister has, since their first interaction on the phone, engaged him in the ministry's efforts to deal with illegal mining.

"Since then, I've gone round with an advisory team he set up. He made us start from his own constituency," he said.

While lauding the minister for his efforts, the journalist reiterated the need for a more drastic approach in dealing with galamsey, considering its impact on Ghana's forest reserves.

"But you see, in this galamsey fight, especially in forest reserves, every minute, every hour delayed records an unimaginable permanent destruction.

"Look at the picture below. This is the Apamprama Forest Reserve. The NPP administration failed to act, and the result is this level of devastation: vast forest turned into pits and gullies," he wrote.

The journalist added that "The minister has his own plans, and it's good, but we have to complement each other. He believes in due process and careful study of the problem and finding solutions. That is fine. I also believe in immediate enforcement when it comes to forest reserves because the more time you waste, large tracts of quality forest are lost, and you can't bring it back."

Erastus has recently been updating the public on the widespread invasion of some forest reserves by rampaging illegal miners.

Meanwhile, Minister of Defence, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, has issued a stern warning to individuals engaged in illegal and irresponsible mining, urging them to cease their actions.

In a Facebook post sighted by GhanaWeb, the minister urged individuals to blend patriotism with religion and stop illegal mining.

"In the name of God and Ghana, stop galamsey! No human being resides in the forest reserves! In the name of God and Ghana, stay away from the forest reserves and galamsey. A word to the wise is enough!" he warned.

In the post dated March 10, 2025, the minister, hinting that the government might take drastic measures, urged those interested in mining to regularize their activities through licensing.

"Stop galamsey! If you're interested in mining, seek the necessary regulatory permits. We'll not talk much," he emphasised.

Galamsey, a contentious issue in Ghana over the past few decades, has prompted numerous calls for the government to take action.

In recent efforts to address this problem, the government, through the Ministry of Defence, has occasionally deployed the military to high-risk areas, where soldiers have sometimes destroyed mining equipment and machinery, such as excavators.

At a recent press conference, AROCHA Ghana, an environmental activist group, demanded drastic measures against galamsey, describing the burning of excavators as the most effective solution under the circumstances.

GA/AE