The flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Mahama, has pledged to end mining in forest reserves if he is elected president in the upcoming December 7 polls. 

He insisted on the importance of preserving Ghana's forest reserves and stated that the destruction of these areas for gold mining must not be encouraged.

Addressing chiefs and elders of the Central Region, Mahama underscored the need to protect Ghana’s forests. 

He stressed the environmental and ecological significance of forest reserves and called for stronger measures to ensure their preservation.

Mr Mahama assured that, under his leadership, the NDC government would prioritize the protection of forest reserves. 

He vowed that his administration would not tolerate gold mining activities in these areas, emphasising that environmental conservation would take precedence over mining interests.

“We are going to stop all mining in forest reserves. Some of those trees existed when our ancestors were here. Some of those trees are 700 years old in those forest reserves. And our ancestors didn’t cut them. Our ancestors left them for us."

“We are going to cut them and what are we going to leave for our children? Savannah, desertification, destroyed environment. And so we must preserve the forest.

"Yes, it is attractive to get as much gold as we can but that is like cutting your nose to spite your face," he said.