No government employee has been instructed by President John Dramani Mahama to participate in any kind of mining, whether it be legal or illicit.
“If you want to be a miner, leave the government and be a miner, you can’t be in government and be a miner at the same time,” said President Mahama.
“This is why under my administration, we would sustain the fight against illegal mining or galamsey,” he added, adding that stringent environmental law enforcement must go hand in hand with the government’s commitment to afforestation.
Last Friday, President Mahama gave a speech at the “Tree For Life Reforestation Initiative” launch in Kufuor Park in Nkawie, Ashanti Region.
The project, one of two initiatives the government is relying on to fight the canker of illegal mining, popularly known as ‘galamsey’, seeks to embark on transformational landscape restoration efforts. It will heal and harness the environment by turning areas heavily degraded by illegal mining and other drivers of deforestation and forest degradation into ecologically functional landscapes. The Tree For Life Reforestation Initiative aims at promoting sustainable forest management, conservation and reforestation to address the issues of biodiversity loss, pollution of water bodies, climate change and environmental degradation which pose existential threats to the country.
The launch was attended by government officials, traditional leaders, students and the people of Nkawie in the Atwima Nwabiagya South District in the Ashanti Region.
Among the dignitaries were the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, the Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr Frank Amoakohene, and the Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Africa of Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Dr Abebe Haile-Gabriel. The occasion coincided with this year’s International Day of Forest (1D1F), which is observed on March 21 every year. President Mahama planted a commemorative tree to launch the Tree for Life Reforestation Initiative at Nkawie in the Ashanti Region.
Government dedication
The President said along with the fight against illegal mining, the government would do the difficult thing of reclaiming degraded lands, hence the Tree for Life Initiative.
At Nkawie in the Ashanti Region, President John Dramani Mahama planted the commemorative tree to kick off the Tree for Life Reforestation Initiative while holding a watering can.
President Mahama said that 16 hectares (39.53 acres) of land had been successfully recovered by a private group’s pilot project, and that the goal was to expand that up to 500 acres, or 202.343 hectares, of reclaimed lands in a year.
According to President Mahama, the government’s Blue Water Initiative was enhanced by the Tree For Life Reforestation Initiative, which was in line with both domestic and international commitments.
Revise
According to him, security and regulatory organizations have also stepped up their efforts to stop illicit mining.
“The government has made great strides in the last two weeks. Of the nine no-go areas, seven have been regained. “We are on track to recover the two remaining no-go zones,” he stated.
“Four pump action rifles, three bulldozers, three pick-up trucks, eleven motorcycles, and 85 excavators have been seized from galamsey operations,” he added.
According to President Mahama, 71 people who were found to be illegally mining in forest reserves have been detained and will be subject to the full force of the law.
The President further stated that LI 2462, which prohibits anyone, including the President, from approving mining in forest reserves, was also laid before Parliament by the Environment, Science, and Technology Minister and will mature in 21 days.
Details
The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources who provided the details of the initiative said it came in two components – Education, awareness and sensitisation campaign, as well as Reforestation and Afforestation.
“This involves massive education and awareness outreach on the importance of trees and the need to plant and preserve them.
The approach will include community durbars, consultation with chiefs and traditional leaders, radio and television programmes, events for schoolchildren, churches and professional bodies, production of flyers and posters,” Mr Buah stated.
He said the second component, Reforestation and Afforestation, would involve active tree planting during the rainy season.
Mr Buah said five million tree seedlings of various species would be distributed for incorporation into farmlands (agroforestry).
He said 1,000 casual workers from forest fringe communities would be engaged to undertake enrichment planting of 4,000 hectares of forest reserves.
The government would also establish 10,000 hectares of forest plantation under the Modified Taungya System (MTS).
“Under this intervention, farmers will be given degraded forest reserve lands to plant their food crops and at the same time plant various timber tree species on the same land with the support of the Forestry Commission,” the Lands and Natural Resources Minister explained.
The government would facilitate the establishment of 7,500 hectares of commercial timber plantations by the private sector on degraded forest lands, the community woodlots project for fuelwood, the planting and restoration of mangrove forests and in wetlands and coastal areas.
Mr Buah added that reclamation and revegetation of 500 hectares of degraded mined-out areas would be undertaken while trees would be planted along water bodies to prevent erosion and siltation.
Other initiatives include the Blue Water Initiative, One-child-One-Tree and the One-Student-One Tree initiatives meant to introduce children to conservation.
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