Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr. Frank Amoakohene
The Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr. Frank Amoakohene, has come under heavy criticism for issuing an ultimatum to illegal miners, popularly known as galamseyers, within his jurisdiction to desist from their activities.
Speaking on the February 8, 2025, edition of Newsfile on Joynews, former Minister of Lands and Natural Resources Alhaji Inusah Fuseini described the minister’s action as indicative of weakness.
“We don’t give criminals time to prepare. If someone defecates in your backyard and you catch them, you don’t give them time to clean it up—you order them to do it immediately,” he stressed.
He noted that the decision to give the illegal miners an ultimatum would render the fight against galamsey less effective, hence the need for the minister to hit the ground running.
“When you do that, it shows weakness in you; the people will exploit that weakness,” he stated.
He, however, commended the Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Environmental Protection Agency, Professor Browne Klutse, for being bold and decisive by ordering illegal miners to leave forest reserves immediately.
“That is why I commend Prof. Browne Klutse, the EPA Boss, when she went around ordering people to leave the forest reserves,” he noted.
As part of his efforts to crack down on illegal miners, the Ashanti Regional Minister, who assumed office recently, has issued a two-week ultimatum to illegal miners operating in forest reserves to vacate or face the full weight of the law.
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