Some reclamation contractors using galamsey to fund their work – Erastus alleges

Media personality and anti-galamsey campaigner Erastus Asare Donkor has raised concerns about claims that some entities contracted to reclaim degraded lands are engaging in illegal mining to fund restoration work.

Speaking on Joy FM on Thursday, July 16, 2026, Donkor alleged that some firms contracted by the Minerals Development Fund (MDF) to restore degraded forest reserves are instead worsening the destruction through illegal mining.

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Although he supports land reclamation efforts, Donkor said the work should be entrusted to credible entities with a proven track record.

"Let me also make this observation. We are reliably informed on the ground that the Minerals Development Fund (MDF) is issuing contracts to people to carry out reclamation in certain forest reserves. I am not against reclamation. We need the lands to be reclaimed," he claimed.

He alleged that some contractors are engaging in illegal mining to finance the reclamation work, a practice he described as wrong.

"But these entities are doing galamsey to use the proceeds to do reclamation, and that, I think, is wrong. A case in question is the Tinte Forest Reserve. Remember, recently, one of the entities that was contracted by MDF to do reclamation in that area was caught doing galamsey," he said.

Donkor further alleged that some contractors claim to be reclaiming degraded lands but end up causing more damage to the affected forest reserves.

"So, in effect, they put up banners that they are doing reclamation, but when you go to the ground, they are indeed adding to the woes of that forest reserve, and I'm getting quite a lot from people, so we need to streamline these interventions," he stated.

He called for reclamation contracts to be awarded to companies and individuals with proven experience in land restoration.

"If we are supposed to reclaim, why don't we give it to people or entities that have the track record to do reclamation? If we do not have the funding for the reclamation, then let's stop. Instead of giving it to people and asking them to do galamsey, to use it to cover their pits, when in effect, they go in there, and they start destroying the forest further," he concluded.

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