The Christian Council of Ghana has urged on government to take steps towards bringing a finality to illegal mining activities, commonly known as “galamsey.”
This call from the Christian Council comes as a result of the devastating effects of illegal mining on the environment, local communities, and the nation’s future.
These effects have reached critical levels, which is prompting various stakeholders to seek immediate and extensive actions to be taken against these actions.
Reverend Cyril Fayose, General Secretary of the Christian Council showed concern over the menace that illegal mining activities place on Ghana’s natural resources, especially its water bodies, farmlands and its ecosystem.
Reverend Fayose called for urgent attention to address the crisis, stating that the canker must be addressed immediately.
He called for more than just the usual criticism and reactive approach, highlighting that only a calculated and extensive strategy would satisfy demands in protecting Ghana’s future.
“I think there should be a total ban, at least if not a total ban, a moratorium for some time [on Galamsey] so that we sit back and think about how to proceed. There are two ways to proceed.
“One is a total ban on small-scale mining so that no one is allowed to do small-scale mining, just as we don’t allow anyone to mine in water bodies. But the other thing is if we cannot ban small-scale mining, at least the small-scale mining companies must be community-owned.”
Source: Obikyere Abigail Seyram, Communication and Media Studies Student, KNUST
