The Forestry Commission has arrested 218 persons illegally mining in forest reserves across the country.
Out of the number, 24 have been prosecuted and jailed, while the rest await various trials, the head of Corporate Affairs and Media Relations, Joyce Ofori Kwafo has said.
“For the period January 2023 to December 2023 as we speak of today. We have been able to arrest 218 persons and out of the 218 persons, 24 have been prosecuted and jailed- and handed various sentences. The rest are pending in the various courts across the country in the various regions,” she said.
She made this known in an interview on JoyFM’s Midday News on Wednesday, December 13, 2023.
Madam Kwafo explained that this exercise forms part of efforts by the Forestry Commission to clamp down on individuals illegally mining in forest reserves.
Currently, she said the commission was working around the clock to ensure that all the forests are free from mining activities.
Although the Head of Corporate Affairs says the commission was tackling mining activities in various regions, the major concentration is in the Ashanti, Western, North, Eastern and Central Regions.
“We are looking at all our forest reserves across the regions. We are not looking at one particular area because all our forest reserves are at stake as we speak now. But then the concentration is in the Ashanti, Western, North, Eastern, and Central Regions. This is where the thing is endemic, but we are concentrating on all others,” she told host Emefa Apawu.
Meanwhile, she said the commission was taking up sensitization programmes across the length and breadth of the country to educate people on the ills of mining activities on society.
Madam Kwafo assured the general public of the outfit’s preparedness to fight the canker to its roots.
“It will last as long as the Forestry Commission lasts. It will last as long as the world lasts because we are not going to rest on our oars. We will continue and make sure we flash out all illegal operators from our forest reserves and build the integrity of our forest,” she assured.
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