Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has disclosed that he has begun declining calls from some high-profile individuals interceding for illegal miners, including Chinese nationals recently arrested during a crackdown in some forest reserves.
The Minister has vowed not to entertain such calls when arrests are made and has warned against the practice.
Armah-Kofi Buah described as heartbreaking the devastation caused by illegal miners at the Offin Shelter Belt Forest Reserve, where a recent military crackdown led to the arrest of two Chinese nationals and the seizure of over 15 excavators.
The Minister also disclosed that the Environment, Science, and Technology Minister will, in the coming weeks, present to Parliament a proposal to repeal laws that currently permit mining in forest reserves.
