If you want to be a miner, leave my government — Mahama to appointees

President John Dramani Mahama has reiterated his directive barring his appointees from engaging in any form of mining.

The President noted that any appointee who aspires to venture into mining should resign and make way for individuals committed to governance.

Speaking at the launch of the Tree for Life Reforestation Initiative at Nkawie in the Ashanti Region on Friday, March 21, he bemoaned the impact of illegal mining (galamsey) on the country’s environment.

“I have directed that no government appointee at any level should engage in any form of legal or illegal mining. If you want to be a miner, leave the government and go and be a miner,” he declared.

“Farmers are losing their farmlands, rivers are turning brown and toxic with pollution, and entire communities are being affected,” he lamented.

The Tree for Life initiative fulfills a key pledge outlined in President Mahama’s 120-day Social Contract with the people of Ghana.

The project seeks to restore degraded lands, promote tree planting, and foster environmental sustainability and conservation.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah urged all Ghanaians to participate in tree planting efforts to enhance biodiversity and combat climate change.

The Ellembelle MP emphasized that “Every tree planted is a significant step towards a greener and more sustainable future. Let’s make Ghana green.”