The Conference of Major Superiors of Religious, Ghana and the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra have petitioned President Akufo-Addo to declare a state of emergency in response to the illegal mining situation, or galamsey.
On Friday, October 11, the church conducted a “Environmental Prayer Walk” in opposition to the significant environmental harm, following which the petition was delivered.
On behalf of the President, the appeal was accepted by Emmanuel Aduamoa Bossman, Deputy Chief of Staff.
The purpose of the walk was to raise awareness and ask for divine intervention over the pollution of water bodies and the ruin of farmlands.
The church has expressed serious worry over the past attempts to stop galamsey, pointing out that the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference has ignored multiple communiqués.
The petition underlined that, considering galamsey’s disastrous effects on the environment, agriculture, and public health, immediate and decisive government action is required.
The church cited the severe pollution of major rivers such as the Pra, Ankobra, Densu, Tano, Offin, and Birim, rendering them undrinkable and unfit for agricultural use alongside the health risks posed by the use of harmful chemicals like mercury.
In addition to calling for the proclamation of a state of emergency, the church suggested a moratorium on the issuance of new mining licenses, the repeal of the statute permitting mining in forest reserves, and the application of the full weight of the law, without mercy or fear, to those who engage in unlawful mining.
It also demanded that leaders take the lead in an open, community-led initiative to remediate contaminated waterways and reclaim damaged lands.
Acknowledging that a significant number of illegal miners are motivated by financial desperation, the Church recommended the government to allocate funds towards alternative livelihood initiatives, specifically in the agricultural sector, in order to offer long-term job prospects to individuals presently involved in galamsey.
Source: Adomonline