Former Member of Parliament for Upper Denkyira West, Benjamin Kofi Ayeh, has dismissed calls for the outright ban on mining in forest reserves.

Despite pressure from civil society groups and a section of the public for an immediate ban on small-scale mining, the former legislator insists that such a move would adversely affect miners who are undertaking their activities legitimately.

He argued that mining can be regularised in a similar fashion as cocoa farmers do in their engagements with the governing body, COCOBOD.

Speaking to GhanaWeb in an exclusive interview on April 16, 2025, he explained that mining could be done within the confines of the law with the right guidance to restore sanity within the mineral extraction space.

He indicated that he has been preaching a different approach to clamp down on illicit mining.

According to him, the proper mechanism has to be activated to guide operators in the space to work within the laws of extraction.

“If we have the political will to end galamsey, we will end it, but the approach to me is what perhaps is not helping us. All this while, I have been preaching a different approach to manage this so-called galamsey issue. It is a matter of regulation. Put the proper mechanism in place. Make it easy for miners by romping them into a framework which offers them guidance to abide by safe practices,” he said.

He lamented that the current approach is not helping the youth who view mining as a livelihood.

“In this issue, as long as there is gold down there, people will go for it. It’s a matter of regulation; put the proper mechanisms in place. Ghana is not against mining - what we are against is improper mining,” he said.

Ayeh indicated that big mining companies like the Newmont, AngloGold do their mining within the framework of the law - so, despite the devastation they cause in the process of mining, they are obliged to reclaim the land and allow the land to fallow and regenerate itself.

“All we have to do is to regulate the operations of these guys, just as they’re trying to do with the GoldBod. Previously, we had the Precious Mineral Marketing Company, (PMMC). PMMC could have collaborated with Minerals Commission to operate like COCOBOD. If a person wants to start cocoa farm, they can go ahead. Then COCOBOD through their agencies like PBC, extension officers, and others help with how to apply fertilizers and other inputs - at the end of the year, what they produce will be sold to them (COCOBOD).

“That is all PMMC has to do in collaboration with Minerals Commission. They have to map out the places for these boys and send in technical persons to follow them - because there are technical guys on the field, they will make sure that they don’t mine in the rivers,” he said.

He has consequently advocated for policies that will regularise mining activities, particularly, for the small-scale miners to prevent them from lurking in the dark to mine illegally.



VPO/AE

Meanwhile, catch up on the concluding part of the story of Fort William, where children were sold in exchange for kitchenware, others, below: