A Rocha Ghana Disputes Minister’s Claims on Forest Reserves’ Integrity
A Rocha Ghana, an environmental NGO, has challenged the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Jinapor’s recent statements on the condition of Ghana’s forest reserves. Apexnewsgh reports Despite the Minister’s assurance in Parliament that he was satisfied with the management and integrity of the country’s forest reserves, A Rocha Ghana argues that his claims contradict available public information. The NGO highlighted the severe impact of illegal mining activities (galamsey) and illegal logging, which have not been addressed or restored. They pointed to numerous reserves, including Krokosua, Sui River, and Tano Suraw Extension, that have suffered extensive damage. Field assessments indicate that the Forestry Commission struggles with daily illegal activities, lacking logistical or operational support. A Rocha Ghana also disputed the Minister’s reminder of the government’s declaration of river bodies as RED ZONES for mining, citing the issuance of licenses in 2022 and 2023 for areas overlapping critical water bodies. Rivers such as the Ankobra, Pra, Tano, and Ofin are suffering from severe pollution, impacting local communities’ health and agriculture. The NGO’s statement concludes that the Minister’s claim of maintained ecological integrity is implausible, given the ongoing issues and lack of effective management. A Rocha Ghana urges the government to take concrete actions to address these environmental concerns and protect Ghana’s forest reserves and water bodies. Read the full statement by A Rocha Ghana below: Answering a specific question in Parliament on 23 February about the State of Ghana’s Forest Reserves, the Honourable Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Jinapor gave a statement that appears inconsistent with publicly available information. A Rocha Ghana wishes to highlight these inconsistencies and fill a few of the gaps to ensure Ghanaians have a clearer picture of the state of Ghana’s Forest Reserves. This action has also become necessary considering all attempts to get an audience to discuss these matters have proved futile. Our concerns and observations are presented in line with the main sub-sections as identified in the Minister’s statement to the Honourable House. Ecological Integrity of Ghana Forest Reserves The Minister stated that the ecological integrity of Ghana’s Forest Reserves has largely been maintained. This is a moot point. With the extensive damage from galamsey, clear felling and farming in some forest reserves yet to be restored, this statement is farfetched. Forest Reserves such as Krokosua, Sui River, Tano Suraw Extension, Afao Hills, Upper Wassaw, Anhwiaso West and East, Supuma Shelterbelt, Tano Offin, and Denyau Shelterbelt all appear to be lacking ecological integrity due to extensive damage. Further, in mid-January, forest sites Denyau Site 1,2 and 3, Supoma Site 1 and 2, Ntakem 1 and 2, and forest reserves of Numereso, Bepo Tintin, Kubi, Watreso, Adamso, Bunsu, Brechakrom, Amponuase, Apapraman, Hiayeya, Pomposo were all reported to be live galamsey sites. We urge the President and Lands Minister to explain the meaning of “cordoned off all Forest Reserves” and rid them of illegal mining, a statement they continue to repeat but the meaning is far from clear. From our checks on the ground, the Forestry Commission is still struggling on a day to day basis to keep out illegal activities from our Forest Reserves, without any new logistical or operational support added to the existing set-up. What is different now? Transparency in the state of Ghana’s Forest Reserves is critical, especially as this will promote targeted restoration and reforestation actions. Forest Entry Permits for Mining in Forest Reserves The Honourable Minister stated a total of six Forest Entry Permits have been issued for mining in Forest Reserves and listed them all. However, this list is incomplete. Asante Gold announced on 3 August 2021 that the Government of Ghana had just granted the company a Forest Entry Permit covering all forest areas within its Kubi mining lease. Besides being left off the list, it also appears the Permit was given after the President’s strict ban on new Forest Entry Permits for mining. In clarifying the President’s bans, the Minister stated in April 2021 that “moving forward, the Forestry Commission should not issue Forest Entry Permit for purposes of mining in Forest Reserves. The process is such that the final permit one requires in order to be able to mine in a Forest Reserve is a Forest Entry Permit. The President got us issued this instruction which says that no more issuance of Forest Entry Permits and so as from I think about two weeks ago there cannot be fresh mining in Forest Reserves…if you get a mining lease and you go to the Forestry Commission, the door is shut”. The Asante Gold permit came 4 months after this ban. Koantwi Mining Company’s 2023 Mining Lease over a large portion of the Anhwiaso East Forest Reserve is also a matter of concern. A statement by the Minerals Commission in 20225 suggests that Koantwi’s 2020 Forest Entry Permit listed by the Minister was for the 2020 Mining Lease ML2/176 across a southern portion of the Anhwiaso East Forest Reserve. According to the MinCom repository, however, Koantwi Mining was recently granted a 30-year Mining Lease (ML-LAYER/222)7 covering a much larger part of the Anhwiaso East Forest Reserve, commencing 7 February 2023. Available information shows the application was made on 12 December 2022. How did Koantwi get its Forest Entry Permit for this mining lease? The Minister also did not mention the Mining Lease to Unipower Mining Company that would require a Forest Entry Permit as it includes a southwest portion of the Boin Tano Forest Reserve (ML2/47), commencing 19 May 2022. It is possible there are others as well. River Bodies declared Red Zones for mining The Minister also reminded Parliament that government has declared river bodies as RED ZONES for mining, referring to the President’s strict April 2021 ban on mining in or near water bodies as well as in Forest Reserves. Despite this ban, the Minerals Commission has given out several licences in 2022 and 2023 that straddle critical water bodies, including at the exact locations already decimated by galamsey. The rivers include
MTN Ghana announces 80% completion of nationwide network upgrade
MTN Ghana today announced that it has completed 80% of its planned network upgrade across the country, which commenced in June 2024 and expected to end in August 2024. The upgrade involves the replacement of existing mobile network infrastructure with more efficient and environmentally friendly equipment. The Chief Technical Officer (CTO) of MTN Ghana, Thomas Motlepa, indicated the commitment of the business to delivering unparalleled network service for customers. He said, “Our customers remain at the core of our business. This upgrade will ensure that we have a more reliable and robust network and help to achieve network virtualization and increased capacity for optimum service delivery.” In expressing his gratitude to stakeholders and customers, Mr. Motlepa noted “We are thankful to our valued customers and stakeholders for their patience and support during the period especially as we experienced some intermittent network disruptions.” The modernization of the network is expected to be completed by the end of August 2024. Customers who experience any disruption to any service can call MTN toll free number 100 or reach out via any of MTN’s social media handles. MTN is on track to invest $1 billion in its network by 2025 as promised. The company continues to expand its coverage, improve customer data experience, and promote sustainable practices. Source: Apexnewsgh.com Thanks for reading from Apexnewsgh as a news publishing website from Ghana. We encourage you to freely share this story via social media platform and follow us on; Facebook on APEXNEWSGH-Tv or Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 0248250270/0256336062.