The Assistant Deputy Ashanti Regional Security Coordinator, Alhaji Nje Abdallah Umar, has rejected claims that the John Mahama Administration is not doing enough to end illegal mining in Ghana.
Speaking to Alfa Ali on the Orange Sunrise on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, Alhaji Nje said the fight against illegal mining has not received enough public attention because the government has been focused on reclaiming land.
“It is because we are not burning excavators, so you don’t see fifty excavators; you burn one, it’s on social media, and that tells you we are fighting galamsey… because we are not burning excavators, they say we are not fighting galamsey “, Alhaji Nje explained
He explained that burning excavators would have generated more attention but indicated that burning excavators would destroy forests.
“During that regime, when they were burning the excavators, how many virgin forests were destroyed? Now today, tell me one single virgin forest that illegal miners have invaded”, he quizzed.
He added that urging miners to cover pits was more effective than burning excavators, and that President John Dramani Mahama has advised against burning excavators.
“We have engaged the leaders of the small-scale miners, and they have a way of succeeding in getting back our lands after mining”, he stressed
This comes after the National Security Secretariat in the Ashanti Region raised concerns over the continued activities of illegal miners operating near the Obuasi Airport despite recent enforcement actions against them.
According to Alhaji Nje, the miners had replaced parts of demobilised excavators to continue illegal mining. However, Alhaji indicated that the regional security council had managed to clear the land and that reclamation efforts were underway.
“As I am speaking with you, we have been able to stop them and any moment from now we will move in with machines to start the reclamation”, he added.
The Assistant Deputy Ashanti Regional Security Coordinator, Alhaji Nje Abdallah Umar, added that authorities were committed to making sure that reclamation efforts were sustainable.
