The Eastern Regional Minister, Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey, has given all Municipal and District Chief Executives (MDCEs) in the region a two-week deadline to compile detailed profiles of every miner and their financiers operating within their jurisdictions.
The directive is part of renewed efforts to distinguish licensed miners from illegal operators and to clamp down on galamsey activities, particularly along river bodies and within forest reserves.
Mrs. Awatey issued the instruction during a high-level meeting in Koforidua on Monday, October 6, 2025, which brought together MDCEs, NDC constituency executives, and key stakeholders, including the party’s Deputy General Secretary, Mustapha Gbande.
The engagement follows President John Mahama’s recent meeting with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) at the Jubilee House, aimed at developing sustainable strategies to end illegal mining across the country.
Speaking to journalists after the session, the Regional Minister underscored government’s determination to strictly enforce mining regulations and restore environmental sanity.
“Illegal mining is not just a regional issue — it’s a national crisis and an environmental threat that the government will not tolerate,” she stated.
She explained that the profiling exercise is intended to create a clear database of all mining activities in the region.
“I have instructed all Municipal and District Chief Executives to go into their communities and document every mining centre and its owners. Within two weeks, every miner — whether licensed or not — must be identified,” she said.
Mrs. Awatey further directed that all miners currently operating near water bodies or within forest reserves must vacate such areas within the same two-week period, warning that defaulters would face legal action.
“We are using the two weeks to identify all miners, including those operating without licences. Those working in restricted zones must leave immediately. The laws are clear, and they will be enforced,” she cautioned.
She reaffirmed her confidence in the commitment of local authorities to ensure compliance with national mining regulations.
“As a Regional Minister, I trust the municipal and district executives I’m working with. They have been charged to make sure the laws are applied without fear or favour,” she added.
Mrs. Awatey also commended the collaboration of party officials, traditional authorities, and community leaders, noting that their partnership is key to achieving meaningful results in the fight against illegal mining.
“We have our constituency executives, chairmen, organisers, and secretaries here, and this is how we intend to strengthen the enforcement of both by-laws and national mining laws across the Eastern Region,” she said.
The profiling exercise, which begins immediately, is expected to serve as the foundation for a region-wide operation against illegal mining once the two-week deadline expires.
