Ghanaian international marathon walker, King Klottey, has arrived in the Northern Region as he continues his two-week walk from Burkina Faso to Accra to raise awareness about the dangers of illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
Klottey began the journey at the Burkina Faso-Paga border last Saturday and has since made his way through parts of northern Ghana as he seeks to draw attention to the devastating impact of illegal mining on the environment and water bodies.
At Paga, he was received by the Chief Revenue Officer of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) Customs Division in charge of Paga, Mr Martin Kudjo Dogbley, who commended him for undertaking what he described as a bold initiative.
Mr Dogbley called on Ghanaians to adopt responsible attitudes towards the environment and desist from practices that threaten the country's natural resources.
He particularly urged the public to stop indiscriminate dumping of refuse into water bodies and open defecation, stressing the need for collective efforts to protect the environment.
Mr Dogbley also appealed to individuals engaged in illegal mining to reflect on the destruction their activities were causing to the environment and the country's water bodies.
He questioned the benefit of accumulating wealth through activities that destroy the environment, only for the proceeds to be spent later on medical treatment.
According to him, the huge resources being committed by the government to combat illegal mining could instead be channelled into developmental projects that would benefit the country and generations yet unborn.
He urged Ghanaians to adopt responsible behaviours that would help save lives rather than endanger them, while expressing confidence that Klottey's initiative would achieve its intended purpose.
Also welcoming the marathon walker to the Northern Region, the Regional Security Liaison Officer, RSM Adams Mohammed, described illegal mining as a national problem that required a collective effort to address.
He said the continued destruction of the environment and water bodies through illegal mining posed a serious threat to public safety.
“Public safety and water safety should be our primary mandate. They say water is life, and we need water in all our daily activities,” he said.
RSM Mohammed stressed that protecting the country's water bodies should be a priority for everyone and encouraged Klottey to remain determined and persevere until he completed the journey.
He pledged the support of the regional security authorities towards ensuring that the marathon walker successfully completed his mission.
