News
Ban all Small-Scale Mining for one year – Movement for Change tells Govt
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
News
Abronye remanded in police custody for one week
The Bono Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as Abronye DC, has been remanded into prison custody for one week.
He was brought before an Accra Circuit Court on Thursday, September 12, 2025, on charges of offensive conduct conducive to breach of the peace and publication of false news, which are classified as misdemeanours under Ghanaian law.
After hearing the case, the court ordered that he be kept in custody while investigations continue.
He is expected to reappear before the court on Thursday, September 19, 2025.
By: Jacob Aggrey
News
Mahama promises more jobs and support for Zongo communities
President of the republic of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama has assured Muslim leaders that his government will continue to do everything possible to improve the economy and create jobs for the youth.
Speaking to a gathering of imams, Mr. Mahama emphasised the government’s main focus in education was to expand technical and vocational training so that young people could gain the skills they need to work and support themselves.
He added that special attention would be given to Muslim communities to ensure they benefit from the rollout of new training centres.
He mentioned that programmes such as Ajumawura, which offers small loans to start businesses, and the National Apprenticeship Programme, which helps especially young women to learn trades like dressmaking, would also help the youth to build a future for themselves.
On support for Zongo communities, Mr. Mahama said a coordinator and deputy had been appointed to lead the Zongo Development Fund.
He announced that they would soon begin work on a microcredit scheme called the Soya Fund.
The fund, he explained, would provide small loans to poor households in Zongo communities, especially women engaged in small-scale businesses such as selling waakye, cocoa, or running small shops.
He said artisans like dressmakers would also benefit.
The president thanked the imams for their continuous prayers for Ghana, saying their intercession had helped the country remain one of the most peaceful nations in Africa.
By: Jacob Aggrey
