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Ban all Small-Scale Mining for one year – Movement for Change tells Govt
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The Movement for Change has urged government to impose an immediate one-year ban on all small-scale and artisanal mining activities in the country.
The Director of Communications for the political party, Mr. Solomon Owusu, said the group, “By an Executive Instrument, all small-scale and artisanal mining activities, whether legal or illegal, should be banned immediately for one year.”
The call follows the death of eight gallant men who lost their lives on August 6, 2025, in a Galamsey-related duty.
The Movement explained that the temporary ban would create room for reforms, including a full audit of mining licences issued in the last 15 years. It added that new licences should only be issued with the consent of traditional authorities after the audit.
The group further proposed that all mining machinery be seized and preserved by the Ghana Armed Forces, while degraded lands and polluted rivers are restored under state-supervised programmes.
It recommended that Parliament pass new laws to permanently ban mining in river bodies and forest reserves, with offenders facing life imprisonment.
In addition, the Movement called for the establishment of a Youth in Responsible Mining Initiative to help young people who previously engaged in Galamsey to set up legal mining companies.
These companies, it said, should be supported with licences, equipment and off-taker agreements to operate responsibly.
The party suggested the creation of Citizens Mining Protection Rights Groups in mining communities to act as watchdogs for responsible mining.
According to the Movement, these measures form part of its Ten-Point Action Plan to end illegal mining, which is outlined in its Great Transformational Plan.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Construction of a major underground stormwater drain along the Dr. Busia Highway within the Kaneshie enclave will commence on September 7, 2026.
The Project Coordinator for the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) Project, Dr. Kwadwo Ohene Sarfo, announced this at a special media briefing on Wednesday.
According to him, the works will involve the construction of a double-cell underground rectangular drain measuring approximately 10 metres wide and 1.95 kilometres long, stretching from Pamprom Junction to First Light Junction.
The new drain will replace the existing two 1.2-metre diameter pipes, which are inadequate to carry the volume of stormwater in the area.
Dr. Sarfo said the drain will connect at one end to the recently completed section within the Accra Academy campus and at the other end to the existing drain at Pamprom Junction.
He said the construction is expected to run from September 2026 to October 2027.
The project forms part of government’s broader flood prevention and mitigation programme aimed at addressing perennial flooding in Accra.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The former Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has withdrawn from the party’s National Chairmanship race.
In a statement issued yesterday, Chairman Wontumi who is currently serving a 20-year jail term said his decision was driven by his love for the party and his unwillingness to let his personal circumstances distract the NPP from its rebuilding efforts.
“There are moments in the life of a man when the heart wants to continue, but duty demands sacrifice. Moments when one must quietly set aside personal ambition, not because the dream has died, but because the family he loves must not be made to carry his burden. Today, I find myself at such a painful moment,” he wrote.
He disclosed that after many nights of prayer, sober reflection and consultations with his family, legal team, party elders, campaign team and trusted supporters, he concluded that his present situation must not become an additional burden on the NPP.
“This is not the decision my heart desired, but sometimes, true love requires us to release what we deeply want in order to protect what we love even more,” he added.
Recounting his years of service, Chairman Wontumi said he had served the party with everything within him, walking through heat and rain, travelling to remote communities and standing with the grassroots in both victory and defeat.
“For many years, I have served the NPP with everything within me… The NPP is not merely a political party to me. It is my family. It is my home. It is a cause to which I have dedicated a significant part of my life,” he stated.
He explained that the party, already carrying the pain of electoral defeat and the huge responsibility of preparing for the future, should not be made to carry his personal weight.
“That is why I cannot allow my present situation or personal ambition to distract the party from the difficult work of rebuilding. I cannot ask the party to carry my weight when it is already carrying the pain of defeat and the enormous responsibility of preparing for the battle ahead. I would rather carry this pain quietly than allow the party I love to suffer because of me,” he said.
He further sympathized with his supporters across the 16 regions, acknowledging that the decision would be painful for many who had sacrificed for his campaign.
“To my teeming supporters across all sixteen regions, I know this message will hurt. I know many of you will read it with tears in your eyes because I understand the sacrifices you have made for this journey,” he said.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
