Ghanaians have started waging what many consider a revived war against illegal mining mostly carried out in mining communities in Ghana.
The practice is usually undertaken by unemployed locals who lack required permit to mine. They mostly mine in concessions that do not belong to them and in the process destroy water bodies and the environment.
Many communities in Ghana have had their water bodies drying up due to activities of illegal miners. The menace has been compounded by the presence of Chinese who supply heavy equipment to these small scale miners.
Read: Five Chinese Arrested In Ghana For Mining Illegally, Destroying Water Bodies
A governance pressure group in Ghana, OccupyGhana in a statement said “We encourage all well-meaning and concerned Ghanaians, throughout the month, to create awareness and speak out against Galamsey”.
‘Galamsey’ in Ghana also refers to illegal mining. The OccupyGhana group has declared the whole month of April a period for intensified campaign against the menace.
The media in Ghana has also joined the campaign against illegal mining with the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association collaborating with state-owned newspaper Daily Graphic to demand an end to illegal mining.
The managing director of Daily Graphic, Edem Ashigbi has taken to his facebook page to share worrying video of the impact of the practice on the environment.
Another media house, Citi FM on Monday also launched a campaign with the Harshtag #StopGalamseyNow. Workers of the media house have been in town circulating flyers on the issue seeking public support.
Citi FM staff hit the streets for #StopGalamseyNow campaign [Photos] | More here: https://t.co/0p0FiDk9zT pic.twitter.com/cyuFKD01Td
— #StopGalamseyNow (@Citi973) April 4, 2017
Do not assume that galamsey doesn’t affect you. No matter where you are, galamsey has an effect on your life #StopGalamseyNow pic.twitter.com/pJfFHmBCy0
— #StopGalamseyNow (@Citi973) April 4, 2017
The campaign by the media houses in Ghana is getting the backing from other organisations due to the impact on the environment.
Illegal mining in Ghana has been a major issue and was topical during the previous elections. Many of the candidates including the new president Nana Akufo Addo and his rival the former president John Mahama, campaigned on it.
President Akufo Addo while campaigning to be elected promised to legalize ‘Galamsey’ according to Ghanaceebrities.com.
He said “I was here in Obuasi to say that galamsey, which I prefer to call small-scale mining, will be regularized, to ensure that the youth all find work to do”.
But the president in recent times has said that he intends dealing with ‘Galamsey’ once and for all, while avoiding talking about regularizing the illegal miners.
According to Joy FM in Accra, President Akufo Addo last week told journalists that he wants to find a comprehensive solution to the issue.
His minister, John Peter Amewu recently announced that the government will fight illegal mining with drones, a declaration that has been ridiculed by some environmentalists.
But some critics of government say the president lacks the political will to deal with the issue. Only time will tell if Ghana’s government can really eliminate the practice which is wiping out many water bodies in communities that depend on such natural resources for their drinking water.
Source: Africafeeds.com/ Isaac Kaledzi
