The Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) has imposed an immediate two-week ban on all mining operations in Nweneso No. 1 and No. 2, located in the Atwima Kwanwoma District.

The directive halts active mining to prioritise an intensive land reclamation exercise aimed at restoring heavily degraded environments in the area.

Emergency Directive and Regional Rollout

Alhaji Abdullah Umaru Nje, the Deputy Regional Security Coordinator, announced the ban during an official inspection of mining sites in the district. He revealed that the decision was finalised during an emergency RCC meeting prompted by environmental reports from the district.

"For the next two weeks, no mining activity apart from reclamation will be permitted," Alhaji Nje stated. "There will be strict inspections within this period to ensure that most of these degraded lands are fully restored."

The Deputy Coordinator warned that this temporary ban is a pilot initiative that will soon be extended to other mining districts across the Ashanti Region. Sending a stern warning to non-compliant operators, Alhaji Nje emphasised that the RCC's commitment to environmental restoration is absolute.

"The reclamation exercise has come to stay," he stressed. "It is either they comply by mining and reclaiming the land, or they risk losing their machinery forever."

Corporate Compliance Highlighted

In contrast to the warnings issued to non-compliant miners, the RCC commended Danmark Prime Company Limited for its exemplary restoration efforts. Alhaji Nje praised the company's "extraordinary work" in reclaiming degraded mining land and urged other mining firms in the region to emulate their standard.

The Operations Manager for Danmark Prime Company Limited, Mr Robert Dambo, stated that approximately 10 acres of degraded land have already been reclaimed in the area, and promised ongoing efforts to restore more.

He also pledged that the company will collaborate with the Atwima Kwanwoma District Assembly to plant trees on the reclaimed land to support the recovery of the local vegetation cover.