Executive Director, HELP Foundation Africa
Residents in constituencies affected by illegal mining (galamsey) have called on the President, H.E John Dramani Mahama, to as a matter urgency halt all small scale mining activities in forest reserves and along water bodies in accordance to his 120 days social contract promise.
In a press statement signed by the Executive Director of HELP Foundation Africa, Kyei Kwadwo Yamoah, the residents reveals there is still mining activities on going currently in spite of the harmattan conditions.
This has forced Ghana Water Company to stop water treatment and supply for public in some parts of Western Region since the sources of water have been heavily polluted.
“Your Excellency, we respectively recommend that you make a bold Directive on ‘Galamsey’ to deter recalcitrant Illegal miners, who continue to degrade forest resources, cocoa farms and continue to pollute water bodies”, the statement urged.
Read statement below:
From Voices of Constituencies Affected by galamsey
Your Excellency, we acknowledge that in your first 120 Days Social Contract with the People of Ghana, you have promised to: “Ban illegal and new mining activities in forest reserves. Roll out our ‘Tree for Life’ and Blue Water Initiative’ to heal and sustainably harness the environment by turning areas and water bodies degraded by illegal mining into economic and ecological recovery hubs.”
We commend you for this very good call, we are however concerned that though there is change in government, illegal mining activities are still ongoing unabated with the continuous destruction of forest, cocoa and farm farms and pollution of water resources in most parts of the country. We are also worried that the illegal mining menace may escalate if there is no directive to immediately halt all illegal mining activities now.
Your Excellency, we respectively recommend that you make a bold Directive on “Galamsey” to deter recalcitrant Illegal miners, who continue to degrade forest resources, cocoa farms and continue to pollute water bodies, etc.
We also remind you Sir of your earlier commitment to:
• Repeal the Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Regulation 2022 (L.I. 2462).
• Enforce existing mining laws, investigate the allocation of mineral licenses in forest reserves and prosecute politically exposed persons and traditional leaders complicit in illegal mining.
• Develop a comprehensive strategy to promote sound environmental governance, protecting our forests, rivers, and ecosystems for future generations.
We believe that a decentralized approach to enforcing the ban on illegal mining with a direct charge to the District Security Council (DISEC) and the Regional Security Council (REGSEC) may produce the desired results.
Kyei Kwadwo Yamoah
Executive Director
HELP Foundation Africa
For Constituencies Affected by Galamsey
