A Former Chief of Defence Staff, Brigadier Joseph Nunoo-Mensah says that using the military to fight people engaged in illegal small-scale mining (Galamsey) is not the solution.
He described galamsey as a socio-economic issue that has to be approached from an economic point of view by finding them alternative jobs.
“I see the problem as a socio-economic problem. I don’t believe in even using the military to harass galamsey don’t use soldiers to bull down people who are hungry.” he said while speaking during the thought leadership forum on the theme “Galamsey Fight: Beyond the talk, what next?” organized by Media General in Accra on Wednesday, September 25.
For his part, Former Chief Executive of the Minerals Commission, Dr Anthony Aubynn said that no law permits anyone to mine on water bodies therefore anyone doing that is automatically engaged in Galamsey.
He appealed to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to take decisive actions against galamsey.
Dr Aubynn further called for the repeal of the Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Regulation 2022 (L.I. 2462) which permits mining in forest reserves, was passed in 2022.
He said it is inimical to the environment and the well-being of Ghanaians.
“Why are we mining on water bodies which the law says don’t? There is no law in Ghana that allows people to mine on water bodies. How can we make this law, I have been wondering why that law was passed, that law must be repealed, it is inimical to the environment and the well-being ” he said at the same event.
He further appealed to President Akufo-Addo to announce a ban on mining on rivers.
“President Akufo-Addo, please do another Fellow Ghanaians and announce that no mining on waterbodies.”
The Director of the Nature and Development Foundation, Mustapha Seidu, also said Ghana experienced unprecedented wild hurry for mining leases when the L.I was passed.
He stated that the L.I is bad and called for its abolishment after arguing that it flouts all the policies and agreements signed for a green environment.
Speaking during the thought leadership forum on the theme “Galamsey Fight: Beyond the talk, what next?” organized by Media General in Accra on Wednesday, September 25, the foundation said, “There is a legal regime in mining in first reserve, it is an infamous law because it is a bad law.”
He further noted that there was an “unprecedented mud rush for leases to mine in first reserves following the passage of that law. It is a reversal of all our international commitment for sustainable forest management, for climate change for policies to ensure that we have a green environment.”
The Foundation is not the only body calling for the repeal of this law.
An earlier joint statement released by the Research Staff Association at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Research Scientists Association at the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) is calling for an immediate recall of Parliament to repeal
The scientists say if Members of Parliament can be recalled to grant tax exemptions for companies they believe bring substantial investments, they should act with similar urgency to address the galamsey crisis.
“This issue 9galamsey) is a ticking time bomb, threatening to derail all the economic gains and investments made by the nation, and thus immediate action is needed, the statement said.
They have also demanded an immediate suspension of all illegal small-scale mining activities in Ghana until there is Support for Sustainable Mining Practices.
“We call on the government to immediately suspend all illegal small-scale mining activities in the country for a period not less than one
year during which the government invests in promoting sustainable, eco-friendly mining practices by providing technical and financial support to small-scale miners.
“This will help formalize the sector and reduce the reliance on destructive mining methods thereafter. Just as the sea is closed for a month each year to allow for a bumper harvest when it reopens, this, in our considered view, would be tackling the galamsey menace with the urgency it requires. The current state of our water bodies demands vigorous action, as the consequences of illegal mining, if left unchecked, will be disastrous for the nation’s environmental and public health.”
They noted that Galamsey poses an existential threat to Ghana’s environment, public health, and economy. The time for rhetoric has passed; urgent and sustained action is needed now, they said.
The statement indicated potentially toxic elements such as cadmium, arsenic, chromium and lead are associated with cancer and non-cancerous diseases.
“The activities of galamsey operations contribute to the environmental factors that lead to Ghana recording over 24,000 cancer cases annually. For example, arsenic may be associated with Buruli ulcer.
“Further, communities near mining sites suffer from increased incidences of respiratory diseases, skin conditions, and other health issues due to exposure to hazardous chemicals,” they said.
They further stated that they are committed to working with the government and other stakeholders to formulate policies, reclaim and restore our lands, forests, and water resources, and help restructure the entire value chain of small-scale mining in the country.
“We therefore call on the government and other stakeholders to collaborate through funding of research activities to find lasting solutions to the unsustainable mining practices.”
