Joyce Aryee, the former CEO of the Ghana Chamber of Mines wants the president to sack and prosecute any metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives (MMDCEs) found culpable of engaging in illegal mining, also known as “galamsey.”
President Nana Akufo-Addo has summoned the DCE for Bosome Freho Yaw Danso in the Ashanti Region after a viral tape implicated him of illegal mining.
Reacting to the development on The Asaase Breakfast Show on Thursday (6 October), Joyce Aryee said Ghanaians must see the fight against illegal mining as a national emergency.
“And when the President does get to know all the metropolitan and district chief executives who are involved, not only should they lose their jobs, but they should also face the law,” she said.
“I know it is not going to be popular,” Aryee said. “I know it is going to cause the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) a lot, but what legacy will you be leaving if a country is so destroyed.”
Meanwhile, President Nana Akufo-Addo has called on traditional leaders to join in the fight against illegal mining, popularly known as ‘galamsey’ as the activity destroy water bodies across the country.
Addressing the National House of Chiefs in Kumasi on Wednesday (5 October 2022), Akufo-Addo said his government is not against mining, but activities that will lead to the destruction of the environment.
He said the campaign should be devoid of partisan politics to achieve its goals.
Akufo-Addo said all hands must be on deck to protect the environment, adding the campaign “can only succeed if it is a truly national battle.”
“No one seeks to exploit [the fight against galamsey] for political gains as we saw in the last election.
“The progress of our country depends on all of us, all citizens of Ghana, all fellow Ghanaians, pulling together to defeat this existential threat to our future,” Akufo-Addo said.
“I ask all of you to join hands with me in the fight against illegal mining in order to bring to an end the devastation of our lands and the pollution of our water bodies,” he added.
Although Ghana requires permits to mine on a small scale, it is estimated that about 70% of small-scale miners are unregistered and operate illegally. They are known locally as galamsey, meaning to “gather and sell”.
While illegal mining supports livelihoods, it has caused severe damage to the environment. It is blamed for destruction of farmlands and pollution of water bodies. It also denies the state revenue: an estimated US$2.3 billion in 2016, reports The Conversation.
source: asaaseradio.com