Speaking in Parliament on Wednesday, Mr Buah revealed that only 40 out of over 800 illegal miners had been prosecuted, describing the prosecution rate as “inadequate.”
“… Mr Speaker, in the last few years, the numbers for prosecution for illegal mining are not very encouraging. Out of over 800, the people who have been prosecuted were less than 40. So, we need to look at that area as well,” he said.
The Minister also told Parliament that 44 out of the 288 forest reserves in the country were under severe threat from illegal mining, resulting in the destruction of over 5,000 hectares of land adding that nine of these forest reserves were beyond the control of the Forestry Commission, as armed illegal miners had taken over, leaving Forestry Commission officials vulnerable without the necessary weaponry to counter them.
The Minister emphasised the need for collective action to address the crisis. “Mr Speaker, the environmental and health impacts of illegal mining are far-reaching, with water pollution, deforestation, and loss of biodiversity being just a few of the consequences,” he said.
GNA
