Hopeson Adorye has renewed his call for a one-year nationwide ban on all small-scale mining, arguing that the drastic measure is necessary to effectively combat illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
He insisted that Ghana must temporarily suspend small-scale mining activities to allow authorities to restore degraded lands and polluted water bodies across the country.
“I think they are doing a good job, but if government wants to be serious about galamsey, then all small-scale mining must be halted for one year,” he said.
According to him, the continued destruction of rivers such as the Pra, Ankobra and Offin shows that existing interventions are not enough, and a stronger national reset is required.
Adorye explained that the suspension could also be used as an opportunity to restructure the mining sector and introduce stricter regulatory systems before operations resume.
“Let us stop the digging for one year and use that period to reclaim the land and put proper systems in place,” he argued.
He further suggested that miners affected by the ban could be engaged in reclamation projects as an alternative source of livelihood during the period.
