Ade-Coker proposes 5-year ban on all forms of mining in Ghana

To ensure that Ghana’s fight against illegal mining, also known as galamsey, yields a positive outcome, a ban on gold mining is one of the most important steps, proposed by former National Democratic Congress (NDC) Chairman for the Greater Accra Region, Joseph Kobina Ade-Coker.

His proposal came to light on Thursday’s edition of the Angel Morning Show. He said this would ensure that Ghana gets a handle on the issue, which has now become a national threat.

He pointed out that a ban on gold mining in the country would help to rehabilitate the mining sector.

“Ultimately, gold mining must be banned in Ghana. I insist that there will be no gold mining in the next five years. We must ban it. Go to Rwanda, gold mining is banned there,” he told Okatakyie Afrifa-Mensah.

Chairman Ade-Coker, as he is affectionately known in politics, also accused the country’s successive governments of failing to take pragmatic measures to solve the problem.

He added that despite numerous promises to combat the practice, the Ghanaian leadership had not lived up to its words.

He advised members of both the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to view the galamsey issue as a national issue and refrain from politicising it as it requires joint efforts.

In order to contribute to the restoration of our forest reserves and water bodies after illegal mining, the NDC man was of the view that a shooting order must be issued for those involved in these practices.