Group reiterates calls on govt to curb galamsey menace
A group of traditional leaders, known as the Kings and Queens Forum of Africa, have added their voices to the call on the government and security agencies to intensify efforts to curb the menace of illegal mining, commonly referred to as “Galamsey.”
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Speaking at a press conference held in Accra last Friday, a representative of the group, Togbi Goba Tenge Seddo, lamented that political rhetoric and mere demands from the public had yielded no results.
Rather, he said, more of such practices were spreading to other parts of the country, notably in the Eastern, Westen, Ashanti and even the Northen regions, with toxic chemicals being pumped into rivers and other water resources.
Togbi Goba, who is an International Peace Ambassador, therefore, reiterated appeals to the authorities to declare a state of emergency to tackle illegal mining once and for all.
“What is more dangerous is the devastation and destruction of our cocoa farms, which bring foreign, exchange to the state” he said.
“We have come to the conclusion that the statements being made by our politicians are cosmetic. The reason being that the big guns are behind the poor young men and women who are engaged in the galamsey for their daily bread.
The question is who finances them, who provides them with the heavy machineries such as the graders and excavators?” he asked.
Effects
Togbi Seddo highlighted how the destruction of rivers such as the Ankobra, Pra, Offin and Densu with mercury, cyanide and lead used in the illegal mining was affecting local communities.
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He stressed that thousands of people depended on the rivers for domestic use.
“In the area of health there are reports from the medical circles that the menace is affecting the health of people, such as causing an increase in kidney and liver failure, and having a terrible effect on newly-born-babies some of whom have abnormal and deformed features, such as no limbs, difficulty in breathing, among others,” he added.
Togbi Seddo, who is also the President of Project Volta, commended the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu Il, for de-stooling five divisional chiefs under his jurisdiction for engaging in the galamsey illegality.
“This is leadership by example - Otumfuo, Ayekoo, we need more of such traditional leaders who are so courageous and up and doing to take drastic action on the issue.
Let other rulers take a cue from Otumfuo's prompt deterrent action,” he added.
He also applauded the various bodies and groups, including organised labour, Trades Union Congress (TUC), Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Civil and Local Government Staff Association, Ghana (CLOGSAG) and General Agricultural Workers' Union of Ghana (GAWU), who added their voices for effective action to be taken against the menace.
Call
He called on the Ghana Journalists Association, the Media Foundation for West Africa, Media Coalition on Galamsey and other entities in the media space to join the bandwagon to fight illegal-mining as it was affecting the country’s water bodies.
As part of the solution, the group called for the establishment of a Reclamation Fund at the Bank of Ghana, which will be managed by a committee of the house of chiefs involving all regional houses, with Otumfuo as the patron.
He explained that the purpose of the fund would be to reclaim the degraded lands and forests by replanting of trees in the affected areas.
“As part of the solution, we are of the opinion that all churches and other institutions should voluntarily contribute from Sunday’s offertories and channel them into the Reclamation Fund,” he added.
