3 more groups join call for illegal mining combat

Three more groups have reit­erated the call for immediate clamp­down on illegal mining.

They are the Coalition of Muslim Organisations, Ghana (COMOG), the Ghana Agriculture Workers Union (GAWU) and the Ghana Affiliate of the Internation­al Association for Impact Assess­ment (IAIA).

In separate statements issued by their respective leaders and copied to the Ghanaian Times, they asked the government to immediately stop the destruction of the coun­try’s river bodies and forest cover.

The COMOG statement issued by its President, Abdel-Manan Ab­del-Rahman, condemned strongly the illegal mining activities and its threat to the country’s envi­ronment, economy, and national development.

It said the activities contravened Islamic principles of environment serenity and social responsibility and also undermine the entire mining industry likewise poising national security risks.

It, therefore, called on the gov­ernment to increase enforcement and monitoring of mining activ­ities; strengthen regulations and laws to prevent illegal mining and use community engagement and education to raise awareness about the risks of illegal mining.

“COMOG is committed to pro­moting Islamic values of environ­mental serenity, social responsibili­ty, and economic justice in Chana.

“We urge all stakeholders to join us in condemning illegal mining and work towards a solution that protects the environment, economy and the health conditions of our people,” it said.

Similarly, the IAIA statement issued by its President, Ebenezer Appah-Sampong, condemned the practice, and called for immediate action including strengthening community and institutional in­volvement.

Other measures, it recommend­ed, included the enforcement of a nationwide moratorium on all small-scale mining, and designating No-Go Areas to protect sensitive ecosystems.

They also proposed confiscating illegal mining sites for restoration and regulating mining equipment to curb illegal activities, and urged political parties to publicly con­demn galamsey to raise awareness.

The IAIA said solving this crisis required urgent, decisive measures and collaboration to ensure a sus­tainable future for Ghana.

The GAWU statement issued by its General Secretary, Andrew Tagoe, said food security in Ghana had been increasingly threatened by illegal mining, evident by the wide­spread destruction of farmland, water pollution, and forest loss.

This, it said, had led to signifi­cant economic and environmental challenges, including food scarci­ty, high crop prices, and climate change effects.

It cited research which highlight­ed that over 7,400 galamsey sites had damaged 2.5 million hect­ares of forest, leading to the loss of cocoa and oil palm plantations, which undermined biodiversity and agricultural productivity.

It reiterated calls for a state of emergency to address the galam­sey crisis and demand immediate government action to reclaim destroyed lands, restore polluted water bodies, and prosecute those responsible for illegal mining activi­ties.

The statement said this was im­portant because the crisis had not only led to substantial economic losses, estimated at over US$ 4 bil­lion annually, but also poses severe health risks to citizens.

If not addressed, the Union said the practice could exacerbate unemployment, health issues, and food insecurity, making the agricul­tural sector increasingly untenable.

The statements by the groups come days after heated advocacy from various groups and individ­uals compelled the government to direct regional ministers to enhance enforcement actions in addition to the setting up of an inter-ministeri­al committee on galamsey.