Oliver Barker Vormawor Blasts Mahama's Govt Over Failure to Repeal Forest Mining Law

“All the NDC had to do was repeal LI 2462 as a first step of good faith. We would all have been praising them. Sometimes, I don’t really understand what motivates our politics,” he wrote.

During the 2024 election campaign, then-candidate John Dramani Mahama made a firm promise to repeal L.I. 2462 if elected, arguing that protecting Ghana’s forest reserves was a top environmental priority. However, in a turn of events, the current administration has indicated that it intends to amend, not repeal, the law.

Minister for Environment, Science and Technology, Dr. Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, addressed the matter, assuring the public that the government is committed to addressing environmental concerns through legislative reforms.

“We are beginning the process of amending the Minerals and Mining Act 2003 to bar individuals from mining in forest areas,” the Minister announced. “The process to amend the mining law satisfies issues around the LI permitting mining in the forest.”

He further described the move as proof that the Mahama administration is a listening government responding to public concerns.

Despite the Minister’s assurances, critics argue that amending the law falls short of the bold action needed to protect Ghana’s fragile forest ecosystems and combat illegal mining. Environmental activists and civil society groups continue to pressure the government to keep its original promise.

The controversy highlights growing tensions between environmental preservation and resource exploitation, with political accountability taking center stage.