TEMA, Ghana – 1st November, 2025: The Secretary General of the Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL), Mr. Abraham Koomson, has welcomed the government’s decision to revoke L.I. 2462, describing it as a bold and necessary step in the ongoing fight against illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey.
The government, as part of renewed efforts to protect Ghana’s forest reserves, has laid before Parliament the Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Revocation Instrument, 2025. The legislative instrument seeks to revoke both L.I. 2501—which restricted the President’s authority to approve mining in forest reserves—and L.I. 2462, which permitted mining activities within such protected areas.
The Acting Minister for Environment, Science, and Technology, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, addressing journalists after laying the instrument, explained that the move forms part of the government’s broader strategy to restore degraded lands and preserve the country’s natural environment.
Reacting to the development on Ahotor FM’s “Yepe Ahunu” show on Saturday, November 1, Mr. Koomson commended the decision, stressing that it represents a strong commitment to environmental protection.
“This is the best decision in the fight against galamsey. I still don’t understand why former President Nana Akufo-Addo allowed a law that permitted mining in forest reserves. It clearly showed the mindset of the NPP government at the time,” he remarked.
Mr. Koomson further asserted that the New Patriotic Party (NPP)’s policy direction on mining and environmental issues exposed what he described as a “diabolical agenda” that undermined Ghana’s ecological balance.
He expressed hope that the current administration under President John Dramani Mahama and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) will continue to take decisive actions that safeguard the environment and win the trust of Ghanaians.
“If the NDC continues to do the right things, Ghanaians will always prefer them to any other party,” he added.
LISTEN TO ABRAHAM KOOMSON IN THE AUDIO BELOW:
Story by: Emmanuel Romeo Tetteh(#RomeoWrites✍️)/Ahotoronline.com | Ghana 🇬🇭