News
EPA calls for private sector support to reclaim degraded lands
The Chief Executive of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Professor Nana Ama Browne Klutse, has appealed to the private sector to work with government and environmental agencies to help reclaim degraded lands across the country.
She made the call during a changfan ban enforcement operation in the Ashanti Region, where she expressed concern over the devastating effects of illegal mining on farmlands, forests, and water bodies.
Professor Klutse revealed that an estimated three million hectares of land have been destroyed due to illegal mining, according to reports from the World Bank and the EPA’s own findings.
“We are deeply worried because about three million hectares of land have been degraded. To restore these lands to their original state requires a lot of work, backfilling the holes, giving the rivers their original paths, planting trees, and bringing the environment back in order,” she said.
She added that the cost of reclamation is very high, making it difficult for the government and the EPA to shoulder the burden alone.
“It’s a huge cost on the state, government, and EPA. We are therefore advocating for the private sector to come in to support the reclamation of our lands and restoration of our water bodies,” Professor Klutse stated.
She noted that the EPA is currently working to secure funds and seeking proposals to support land reclamation and water body restoration projects across the country.
According to her, although the situation is worrying, the EPA remains committed to protecting the environment and ensuring that degraded lands are restored for sustainable use.
By: Jacob Aggrey
A 30-year-old man has been sentenced to 25 years imprisonment with hard labour by the Bekwai Circuit Court for his role in a 2022 robbery at a mining site at Manso Akwasiso in the Ashanti South Region.
The convict, Dominic Ofori, also known as Fanta, was arrested on 16th February 2026 after years on the run. He pleaded guilty before the Bekwai Circuit Court to robbery contrary to Section 149 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 Act 29, and was accordingly sentenced to 25 years imprisonment with hard labour.
On March 20, 2022, the Manso Adubia District Police received intelligence that a group of armed men from Manso Abodom were planning to attack a mining site at Manso Akwasiso to rob the owner of gold concentrate. Acting on the information, police mounted a coordinated operation and laid an ambush at the site.
At about 5:30 pm the same day, four-armed men arrived at the site, fired indiscriminately, and robbed the miners of their gold concentrate. The police team on surveillance intervened, resulting in an exchange of gunfire.
Three of the suspects, Abu Abubakar, Musah Latif, and Gideon Takyi, sustained gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead on arrival at St Martins Catholic Hospital at Agroyesum. Dominic Ofori escaped at the time but was later arrested and put before the court.
The Ashanti South Regional Police Command has assured the public of its continued commitment to combating violent crimes and bringing offenders to justice.
The Ashanti Regional Police Command has arrested 45-year-old Isaac Boafo, also known as “Duabo King,” for allegedly publishing false news intended to cause fear and panic.
Police said the arrest follows a viral TikTok video in which Boafo claimed that four officers at the Central Police Station in Kumasi engaged in inappropriate conduct with commercial sex workers during night patrols in Asafo.
Officers from the Police Intelligence Directorate (Ashanti Region) apprehended Boafo after receiving intelligence about the video.
During questioning, he admitted to creating the video to attract views and engagement online, and acknowledged that he could not prove the allegations.
Boafo also admitted making comments about the President of the Republic for content purposes and could not defend those statements.
He has been formally charged and is in detention as investigations continue.
The Ashanti Regional Police have warned the public against publishing or sharing false information on social media, noting that such acts can cause fear, panic, and damage reputations.
They said anyone found engaging in similar conduct will face legal action.
By: Jacob Aggrey
