The Coordinator of Eco-Conscious Citizens, Awula Serwah, has criticised the government’s decision to amend Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 2462 instead of revoking it entirely. According to Madam Serwah, President John Dramani Mahama had promised to revoke L.I. 2462 during the 2024 election campaign, but the government’s recent actions fall short of this promise.
Speaking at the JoyNews National Dialogue on Repealing L.I. 2462, which was monitored by Ghanaian RADAR Madam Serwah said, “The President assured us in the run-up to the election that L.I. 2462 was going to be revoked. He did not mention an amendment. He said revoked. So in fairness to Ghanaians, the President should apologise for the laying of an amendment rather than a revocation.”
Madam Serwah emphasized that state-sanctioned mining in Ghana’s forest reserves is unnecessary and that the decision to propose an amendment instead of a full repeal undermines environmental protection efforts. “We don’t need state-sponsored mining in forest reserves,” she asserted. “Revoking L.I. 2462 is not the end of the story — of course not — but it will show goodwill and good faith. From there, we can move forward with constructive dialogue.”
She also criticized the framing of illegal mining in public discourse, stating, “We shouldn’t be talking about banning something that is already criminal. Illegal mining is illegal — what we need is strict enforcement of the law. That’s all.”
