Law, Land and Legacy: Ghana Rallies Future Leaders to Defend the Environment
Ghana’s battle against illegal mining continues unabated with unwavering resolve as the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources and Ag. Minister for Environment, Science and Technology, Hon. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah (MP) mounted a powerful call to action before judges, lawyers, and students at the Chief Justice’s Mentorship Programme.
Addressing an audience of jurists and young mentees, the Minister painted a vivid picture of Ghana’s natural heritage of lush forests, fertile farmlands and blue waters now scarred by what he described as “gaping, bleeding holes in the earth,” warning that illegal mining has robbed communities of health, dignity and their children’s birthright.
“The fight against galamsey is not just an environmental campaign,” the Minister declared. “It is the ultimate test of our rule of law, our national conscience, and our commitment to justice for posterity.”
He reaffirmed Government’s resolve to reclaim degraded lands, restore polluted rivers, and ensure that our forests are turned green again, and our waters blue.
According to him, this resolve is being driven by a five-pronged holistic and comprehensive strategy built on collaboration, transparency, land reclamation, alternative sustainable livelihoods for mining communities, and strengthened law enforcement.
Detailing far-reaching reforms, the Minister revealed that Government is overhauling the mining licensing regime to eliminate corruption and opacity, decentralising permit systems to make legality accessible, and sanitising both small- and large-scale mining sectors.
One of the boldest interventions, he noted, is the nationwide tracking and geofencing of earth-moving equipment. “Today, every excavator imported into Ghana is tracked and geofenced. If it moves outside its approved jurisdiction, it is demobilised,” he stressed, disclosing that more than 1,200 excavators are already under surveillance.
Turning to the students, he charged them to see themselves as future defenders of environmental justice. “You will be the interpreters, defenders, and innovators of these laws.
The Chief Justice of Ghana, Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, in a keynote address, placed the full weight of the judiciary behind the environmental cause, describing justice and environmental protection as inseparable “The judiciary’s commitment to justice cannot be complete if we ignore the environment,” he said.
“For justice to be sustainable, it must protect nature, ensure equitable use of resources, and safeguard the wellbeing of future generations.” He noted that courts across the world are increasingly confronted with cases involving illegal mining, pollution, land degradation, and water rights, and Ghana’s judiciary is no exception.
Underscoring concrete action, the Chief Justice announced that three High Court judges have been specifically assigned to handle cases emerging from NAIMOS and other state-related environmental matters, with dedicated courts expected to become operational early next year.
He also reaffirmed the judiciary’s investment in the next generation through justice clubs and mentorship programmes. “We want green schools, clean communities, classrooms where environmental education is a daily habit, and young people who demand accountability,” he told the students.
Justice Baffoe-Bonnie concluded with a rallying call: the protection of Ghana’s environment is not optional, it is a shared legal duty, a moral obligation, and a legacy that must endure.
The President of the Ghana Bar Association, Mrs. Efua Ghartey (Esq) also called on the Education Ministry to bring back Civic Education into the school curriculum so that the campaign for environmental stewardship is imbibed in children right from an early age.
