Organised labour, associations, CSOs join call to combat illegal mining

The demand for an urgent crack down on illegal mining (galamsey) in the country continues to gain mo­mentum by the day, as at least 10 more groups join the advocacy with fresh statements, threats and ultimatums.

They include Organised Labour, Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC), Chris­tian Council of Ghana (CCG), Office of the Chief Imam, Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Media Coalition Against Galamsey (MCaG) and the Executive Women’s Network (EWN).

Mr Kofi Koranten (middle) Independence presidential candidate presenting his document to Mr Samuel Tetteh, Deputy Commissioner in charge of Operations, EC Mr Samuel Tetteh (right) Deputy Commissioner in charge of Operations, EC receiving NDP presidential candidate forms from Alhaji Mohammed Frimpong, the Flagbearer

The others are Ghana Association of Small-Scale Miners (GASSM), the Ghana Indepen­dent Broadcasters Association (GIBA), the Private Newspapers and Online News Pub­lishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG) and Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana.

In a statement issued yesterday, Organised Labour threatened to embark on series of demonstrations and a nationwide strike if the President failed to immediately declare a state of emergency by end of this month.

• Mr Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, GJA President • Most Rev. Matthew Gyamfi, President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference • Mr Joshua Ansah, Secretary General, TUC, Ghana

In line with the provisions of the 1992 Con­stitution (Articles 31 and 31(4), it said the state of emergency should include an order to halt all forms of mining (legal or illegal) in forest reserves and around water bodies.

It is also demanding immediate evacuation of all mining equipment in forest reserves and around water bodies and the deployment of the Police and the Military with full orders to remove/destroy all mining equipment and other earth moving equipment around river bodies and in the forest reserves.

The statement was jointly signed and issued by the Secretary General of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) Ghana, Joshua Ansah, Chairman of Forum ; Isaac Bampoe Addo and Deputy Secretary General of the Ghana Federation of Labour , in Accra yesterday after a meeting on the matter.

It said organised labour had followed the ongoing public-spirited discussions on illegal mining and its consequential impact on the country’s forest cover, water bodies and ecolo­gy, health and other implications.

“It is now clear to us as it is to all well-mean­ing Ghanaians that the menace of galamsey has reached a crisis proportion. The depletion of our forest cover has never been this rapid. The destruction of our water bodies is at an unprecedented scale. Our entire ecosystem is on the precipice,” it said.

Similarly, at a joint news conference in Accra yesterday, the Media Coalition Against Galamsey, GJA , CCG, GCBG, EWN, GIBA , PRINGPAG, Chief Iman’s Office and others called on the government to halt illegal mining and deal with ruthlessly with individuals de­stroying the country’s forest and water bodies.

The GCBC President, Most Reverend Mathew Kwasi Gyamfi, said while mining re­mains an important part of Ghana’s economy, it must be carried out responsibly and sustain­ably.

The General Secretary of the CCG, Rever­end Fayose, urged the government to prioritise the reclamation of destroyed lands and the restoration of polluted water bodies and deal with those whose actions led to the demolition of those lands.

The President of the GJA, Mr Dwumfour, said the President should declare a state of emergency.

“All the presidential candidates of the polit­ical parties vying for elections should pub­licly declare their total support for this crisis response,” he said.

The Convener of the MCaG, Dr Kenneth Ashigbey, said the Coalition would, from now use every legal means to ensure that the gov­ernment halts illegal mining until sustainable measures are put in place.

He said the Coalition, through their investi­gation, would name, shame, and use the law in dealing with persons involved in illegal mining and called all stakeholders to support the Coa­lition in dealing with the canker.

 BY BERNARD BENGHAN