The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has emphasised the need for the country to preserve its trees and protect the environment.
Delivering a speech at the “Annual Chief Justice Mentoring Programme 2025,” themed “Advocating for a Greener and Sustainable Future: The Environment and Justice,” on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, he emphasized that protecting the environment is not optional but a moral and civic duty.
“As we educate the next generation, we must help them understand that protecting the environment is not optional; it is a moral and civic duty, and increasingly a legal one.”
He noted that only countries that uphold and respect the rule of law have strong judicial systems. Ghana’s judiciary has evolved and grown stronger to administer and restore justice without fear or favor.
Mr. Iddrisu explained that the government cannot combat ‘Galamsey’ alone, and thus the judiciary should stand in solidarity with them to win the fight against illegal mining.
“Ghana cannot afford to fail in the fight against Galamsey; we need to elevate our efforts. The executive and the president alone cannot succeed in fighting Galamsey; we need the judiciary to stand side by side in solidarity.”
He emphasized that Galamsey is destroying Ghana’s water bodies and has compromised the quality of our cocoa. Should the court find any credible evidence of public officials or politicians involved in it, the judiciary should not hesitate to exercise its authority and adequately punish such individuals to serve as a deterrent for the rest of society.
Source: Christabel Opare
