The Leader of the Movement for Change, Alan Kyerematen, has outlined a sweeping Ten-Point Action Plan aimed at ending illegal mining, popularly known as Galamsey, describing it as an “existential threat” to the nation’s future.
His statement comes in the wake of the helicopter crash on Wednesday, August 6, which claimed the lives of eight distinguished individuals while on national duty in the Ashanti Region.
In a press statement issued on Sunday, August 17, Kyerematen says the tragedy emphasised the urgent need for decisive action against Galamsey, which continues to devastate Ghana’s environment, water bodies, and communities.
At the centre of his proposal is an immediate one-year ban on all small-scale and artisanal mining activities—whether legal or illegal—through an Executive Instrument.
Kyerematen said the moratorium would allow for a comprehensive audit of mining operations and licences.
Other measures include:
- Suspension of LI 2462 in Parliament to halt permits allowing mining in forest reserves.
- Revocation of all small-scale and community mining licences issued over the past 15 years, to be followed by a full audit led by a task force from the Goldbod, Environmental Protection Agency, Water Resources Commission and Minerals Commission.
- Demobilisation and preservation of mining equipment, to be carried out by the 48 Engineer’s Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces.
- Large-scale land and river restoration programmes, to be led by the Forestry Commission and Water Resources Commission with technical support from the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
- Introduction of stricter legislation, including a permanent ban on mining in forest reserves and river bodies, with life imprisonment for offenders.
- Creation of a “Youth in Responsible Mining Initiative”, providing young people with state-backed licences and equipment to operate legal, private mining companies under regulated conditions.
- Formation of community watchdogs, to be known as Citizens Mining Protection Rights Groups, to monitor responsible mining at the grassroots.
Kyerematen stressed that this Ten-Point Plan is elaborated in the Great Transformational Plan (GTP) of the Movement for Change, which outlines his broader vision for Ghana’s economic, social, and environmental renewal.
He called for urgent national consensus on the fight against illegal mining, warning that failure to act decisively would endanger Ghana’s ecological integrity and sustainable development.
“The time has come for bold, uncompromising steps to eliminate Galamsey once and for all. This is not just about mining; it is about the very survival of our rivers, forests, and communities,” Kyerematen declared.
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