Channel One TV and Citi FM management will on Monday, September 16, embark on a campaign titled ‘I Stand Against Galamsey.
It is aimed at urging the government to take decisive and sustainable action against illegal mining activities that destroy the environment and pollute water bodies.
The campaign will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Its primary objective is to amplify the voices of various associations, organizations, and unions calling for an end to the illegal mining menace, commonly referred to as galamsey.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Friday, September 13, the Managing Director of Citi FM and Channel One TV, Samuel Attah-Mensah, stated that the campaign would continue until concrete action is taken to combat the destructive practice.
“This campaign against galamsey is not going to stop anytime soon. It is not stopping until something more impactful happens, so here on Citi FM and Channel One TV, we will hold onto this campaign until our last breath.”
“On Monday, from 10 am to 4 pm, we are coming back again on Channel One TV non-stop, with “I Stand Against Galamsey.” All the associations, the bodies, and the trade organisations are going to join us to do this and we will keep shouting and barking until something happens.”
Over 50 associations and unions have so far released notices and letters calling for the declaration of a state of emergency and an end to all mining activities until a solution is found.
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, however, during a forum with news editors on Wednesday, September 11, described the calls for the declaration of a state of emergency against the menace as “draconian and far-reaching.”
The Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, George Mireku Duker, on the other hand, also rejected calls for a blanket ban on all small-scale mining operations, labelling such calls as misdirected.
By: Kabah Atawoge