More groups rise against galamsey

More organised groups have voiced their concerns about the spate of illegal mining in the country, demanding drastic action from the government to end the menace, commonly called galamsey in local circles.

At various events in Accra yesterday, the Media Coalition Against Galamsey and Organised Labour asked the government to be decisive in dealing with the life-threatening menace, while the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC) and the Ghana Association of Medical Laboratory Scientists (GAMLS) said in separate statements that the need for action had become urgent.

A multi-stakeholder coalition, addressing one of the events, called on the government to put a moratorium on all forms of small-scale mining, including community mining, with immediate effect.

The TUC specifically warned that if the government did not act on the demands by the end of September, it would embark on a series of demonstrations and a nationwide strike to press for action.

The coalition further asked the government to invoke Article 31 of the 1992 Constitution to declare a state of emergency to deal with the galamsey menace.

The solidarity action is being taken by the Media Coalition Against Galamsey, in collaboration with multiple stakeholders such as the GCBC, the Christian Council of Ghana (CCG), the Executive Women Network (EWN), the Office of the Chief Imam, the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Organised Labour and the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) Platform on the Sustainable Development Goals.

At a news conference, the coalition gave a two-week ultimatum to the President to take action to stop the illegal mining scourge or be prepared for industrial action and massive protests.

Present at the event were the President of the GCBC, Most Rev. Matthew Gyamfi; the General Secretary of the CCG, Rev. Dr Cyril G. K. Fayose; the President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Albert Kwabena Dwumfour; the Deputy National Coordinator of  A Rocha Ghana, Daryl Bosu; the Chairperson of the Executive Committee of EWN, Janet Sunkwa-Mills; the Convener of the Media Coalition Against Galamsey, Dr Kenneth Ashigbey, and the Deputy Secretary General of the TUC, Kenneth Koomson.

In separate statements, members of the coalition called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to make good his promise to put his presidency on the line in the galamsey fight.

They stressed the need for the government to commence immediate steps to reclaim lands degraded by galamsey and restore water bodies heavily polluted by the menace.

The coalition further called on all well-meaning citizens to rise up in solidarity and ensure that the electoral fortunes of political parties in the upcoming election were tied to their commitment to fight galamsey.

Existential threat  

Describing galamsey as an existential threat to the country, Dr Ashigbey said the group would mount pressure on the government to act in the national interest on the galamsey matter.

“Since 2017, we have been talking about this illegal mining menace; but we are no longer going to be talking. We will put pressure on the government for action. If nothing happens by the end of September, there will be strikes, demonstrations and other actions.

“The President should act now by invoking Article 31 to declare a state of emergency because we are in a national crisis,” he stressed.

Dr Ashigbey said apart from naming and shaming persons found to be fuelling the galamsey menace, the coalition was also exploring options for legal action to ensure that they were made to face the law.

“If we fought the sale of SSNIT properties because it was going to affect our lives, we cannot sit aloof on the matter of galamsey fight because it will kill us all,” he stressed.

Dr Ashigbey added: “If we do not act now, we will start licking clay as water”.

Presidential candidates

The GJA President called on all presidential candidates in this year’s election to declare their support for the galamsey fight as a matter of necessity.

He said if the presidential candidates failed to make that commitment, it would give a clear indication that they were not ready to lead the country and should not be allowed to do so by the electorate.

Mr Dwumfour called for the abrogation of all entry permits to forest reserves and protected biodiversity areas, stressing the need to review the Legislative Instrument on mining in forest reserves, Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Regulation 2022 (LI 2462).

“The politicians can no longer take us for granted; we will rise up and fight and demonstrate to them that power belongs to citizens,” he said.

No lip service

Most Rev. Gyamfi said galamsey was thriving because of corruption and the complicity of political leaders and chiefs “and the selfish, unscrupulous behaviour of some citizens”.

“Ghanaians can no longer tolerate the lip service of the government of any colour against the galamsey fight. We call for action now, not tomorrow. There should be no respect for anybody when it comes to our lives, which is at risk now,” he stressed.

He said governments had the power to stop the galamsey menace, so if it persisted, that was ample testimony of a lack of commitment to deal with the challenge.

“That is why we are calling for a temporary moratorium on both small-scale miners and community mining now because whether they are operating legally or not, the value of their impact is the same. If the President really loves Ghanaians, it must be today, not tomorrow,” he stressed.

Real action

Rev. Dr Fayose described the galamsey menace as a shameful act against humanity that must no longer be countenanced.

“We call on citizens to be courageous and stand strong in this fight against illegal mining because this is our life,” he said.

The CCG General Secretary stressed that anyone found to be thwarting the fight against illegal mining must be fished out and dealt with according to the law.

“We call on the Council of State to advise the President to take immediate action to end this menace, while Parliament and the Judiciary must also bring their leadership to bear on this critical matter,” he stressed.

Organised Labour

At a separate function, the Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Joshua Ansah, demanded the immediate evacuation of all mining equipment from protected areas and urged the deployment of police and military forces to dismantle and destroy mining machinery operating in those zones.

He further demanded the revocation of Legislative Instrument (LI) 2462, which governs mining activities in forest reserves, and the withdrawal of all licences granted for prospecting and mining in these areas.

The group also called for the establishment of a special court to prosecute all those involved in illegal mining activities.

NCCE, lab scientists

At a separate event, the Chairperson of the National Commission for Civic Education, Kathleen Addy, called on the country’s security agencies, particularly the military and police, to treat illegal mining as a serious offence that required urgent and decisive intervention to halt its devastating effects on the nation.

She said galamsey was not just an environmental concern but a severe criminal act that undermined national efforts towards sustainable development and environmental governance.

“Our 1992 Constitution, in Article 41(k), enjoins all Ghanaians to protect and safeguard the environment as part of our civic responsibility,” she said, adding that “we see galamsey as a significant setback to preserving the environment.”

GAMLS said in a statement that prolonged exposure to toxic chemicals like mercury and arsenic used in galamsey had been linked to severe health problems, including vision defects, skin defects, cardiovascular challenges, liver and kidney damage, respiratory diseases, cancer, birth defects and neurological disorders as well as death.

“Despite the severe health risks, we are dismayed by the lack of government interest in stopping these illegal activities, which threaten our existence and destroy essential resources like water bodies,” it added.