The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has issued a strong warning to illegal miners operating on Ghana’s rivers and forest reserves, particularly those polluting water bodies, to either stay away or risk their lives.

He said the government, under President John Mahama, is determined to win the war against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey and to restore the country’s water bodies to their natural blue state.

Speaking to journalists after a two-hour boat ride on the Ankobra River in the Western Region, to assess the level of devastation caused by galamsey activities, Mr. Armah-Kofi Buah stressed that the fight had entered a renewed and more aggressive phase.

The minister was accompanied by a joint security taskforce drawn from the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), the Navy, Police and Immigration Service.

According to him, government will no longer rely on short-term raids, but will instead deploy the military and other security agencies to live permanently in areas where water bodies and forest reserves are under attack.

“We are moving to another major phase of our fight against illegal mining. Everyone knows there is no law in Ghana that allows mining in any river body.

From today, you either stay out or you do so at your own peril,” Mr. Armah-Kofi Buah declared.

The minister’s tour of the Ankobra revealed widespread devastation. Almost every stretch of the river had been taken over by illegal miners, with makeshift wooden settlements dotting the banks.

The miners, he observed, were operating directly in the water, pumping and discharging toxic chemicals that had turned the river brown and lifeless.

“What is sad is that they are basically mining right in the river and discharging dangerous chemicals straight back into the water. This is not mining, it is deliberate pollution and destruction,” he said.

He added that those behind the devastation “are not here to look for gold, but to destroy our water.”

He vowed that the government would respond with full force, including a permanent military presence, to reclaim and protect the Ankobra and other rivers from galamsey.

Mr. Armah-Kofi Buah minced no words in cautioning that anyone found mining in rivers would be considered a legitimate target of security operations.

“There is no law in Ghana that permits you to mine and discharge chemicals into our rivers. Anyone seen engaging in this activity is a fair target.

The damage being caused cannot be paid for, and we are at war with galamsey,” he warned.

The minister noted that thousands of illegal miners remain active across the Ankobra, with crude equipment and polyvinyl pipes connected to their makeshift washing points.

He described the situation as “overwhelming” but said the government was resolute in turning the tide.

The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources also criticised regulatory lapses that had contributed to the crisis, citing instances where both the Minerals Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had issued licenses to companies operating dangerously close to rivers.

He announced that guidelines allowing mining concessions within 100 meters of water bodies would be revised.

Instead, government was considering a minimum buffer zone of one kilometer, if any concessions were to be granted at all.

“It makes no sense to give anyone the excuse to mine 100 meters from a river. That policy is part of the problem, and it will change.

“More than anything, our message is simple: stay away from our rivers, because we are coming, and this time not on day visits. We are coming to stay,” he emphasised.

The Lands and Natural Resources Minister underscored that President Mahama had directed full mobilization of the nation’s security forces and resources to deal with what he described as “the crisis of our time.”

“We need to mobilize all the security forces we have, and all the resources we can command, to protect our rivers and forests. The President’s heart is in the right place.

“He has ordered that the military and security agencies be deployed permanently to guard our water bodies and forest reserves.

“That is exactly what we are working towards with the Ministry of Finance and other key sectors,” he said.

He added that the Mahama’s administration was committed to restoring rivers such as Ankobra and Pra, which have suffered severe destruction due to illegal mining.

“If you ask me to describe what I have seen today in one word, I will say ‘overwhelming.’

But we will not relent. We will fight until our waters are turned blue again.”

Task Force Progress and Challenges

Earlier, the Western Regional Security Coordinator, Captain Whajah Musah, briefed the minister on the progress made by the joint security team in combating galamsey on the Ankobra.

He explained that while significant gains had been made in reducing illegal mining activity on land, attention was now focused on protecting water bodies and forest reserves.

“We have done a lot of operations on land, but our priority now is rivers and forests. We have cleared many areas, but there are still obstacles. The Ankobra needs regular patrols to keep it free from galamsey pollution,” he said.

Captain Musah also pointed out challenges facing the task force, including illegal miners using underground pipes to channel water for their operations, making detection and enforcement more difficult.

During the inspection tour, the lands minister also interacted with settlers along the Ankobra. He dismissed claims that some of them were farming, noting there was no evidence of agriculture near the riverbanks. Instead, he accused them of shielding illegal miners and benefiting from the destruction.

He assured them that going forward, they would be compelled to live under the watch of the military as part of measures to root out illegal mining.

Mr. Armah-Kofi Buah concluded by stressing that the fight against galamsey was not just about law enforcement, but also about protecting Ghana’s survival.

He said rivers such as Ankobra and Pra are vital to the country’s future and must not be sacrificed for short-term gain.

“The pollution we are witnessing is bleeding our nation. If this is not war, then I don’t know what is. We will not stop until our waters run clean again,” he affirmed.