Interior Minister Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak has instructed the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to immediately transfer all police commanders assigned to mining regions.
The minister explained that this action is part of stringent measures to combat illegal mining, also known as galamsey. Speaking during a meeting with Imams and Zongo Chiefs in Kumasi, the Asawase MP clarified that the decision aims to replace commanders who have been in these areas for extended periods without effectively addressing the issue.
“I’ve directed the IGP to transfer all police commanders in mining areas and replace them with new ones. This means that if you’re a regional, divisional, or district commander in a mining area, you will be reassigned immediately. The new commanders will be rotated after three months if they fail to perform. We will continue making changes until we see progress,” he said.
Muntaka emphasized his determination to enforce this directive despite increasing pressure on the IGP to reconsider. Under the new policy, the affected commanders will be moved to areas without mining activities, and their replacements will undergo a three-month probationary period to prove their ability to tackle illegal mining, or else face reassignment.
