The Ghana Coalition Against Galamsey has renewed its call for the immediate repeal of Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 2462, which permits mining activities in forest reserves across the country.

Addressing a press conference in Accra, the convener of the coalition, Dr. Kenneth Ashigbey, expressed deep concern over the continued inaction by the government nearly six months into its administration, despite earlier promises to annul the controversial regulation.

Dr. Ashigbey pointed out that under the previous Akufo-Addo administration, the then-Chairman of the Subsidiary Legislation Committee, Attorney General Dominic Ayine, had advocated for the law's repeal.

However, he noted that no substantive progress has been made in that regard.

“The government assured us of its commitment to abolish L.I. 2462, yet we are still waiting for action.

The longer this law remains in force, the greater the threat to our forest reserves and water bodies,” Dr. Ashigbey stated.

He also called on the government to go a step further by declaring a state of emergency in areas heavily impacted by illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey.

He argued that the scale of environmental degradation and the threat to human health in these regions require urgent and extraordinary measures.

The Coalition urged policymakers to prioritise environmental protection over short-term economic interests, warning that continued mining in forest reserves could have irreversible consequences for Ghana’s ecosystem and future generations.