Under the future NDC government, John Dramani Mahama, the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has issued a warning to anyone hoping to conduct mining operations in Ghana’s forest reserves: avoid going there.
He emphasized that protecting the nation’s vegetative cover must not be sacrificed in the pursuit of mineral resource development.
He promised to support ethical mining practices and see to it that water sources contaminated by illicit mining operations are returned to their original condition.
The former president made the comments during a public lecture at the Christian Service University in Kumasi. He stated that the nation will not accept any acts that will deplete its forest reserves, which are more valuable than any minerals that may be found beneath them.
The former President stated:
“I will ban all mining in forest reserves because I believe that many of the trees in the reserves, which are more than 700 years old, are more precious assets than any mineral that lies beneath them.”
