President of the National House of Chiefs Ogyeagogoo Yaw Gyebi has described illegal mining, also known as galamsey, as a threat to the survival of our existence.
The traditional ruler posited that galamsey and its effects on the environment are a threat to our water bodies, farmlands, and cocoa industry among others.
He explained that, given the development, the House of Chiefs would stand firmly behind President Akufo-Addo in his fight against the galamsey menace.
He stated that those who engage in illegal mining must face appropriate penalties.
Illegal miners, he said, must be punished regardless of their status or social standing.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on his part, reiterated his commitment to working hand-in-hand with Chiefs, traditional rulers and all stakeholders in the fight against Galamsey.
According to President Akufo-Addo, “it is obvious that, if we are to win the fight, you and I have to take the lead to collaborate closely to do so. That is why I am here today.”
President Akufo-Addo indicated that, since he took office, on 7th January 2017, he has made it a central feature of his presidency to lead in the efforts to rid the country of the menace of Galamsey, with a firm commitment made in his inaugural speech on the matter.
“It has not been easy, it has not been popular, and we have not got the immediate results that I was looking for. Indeed, in the last elections of 2020, my stance on the issue cost my party and I significant losses in the mining communities. It turned out that my statement that I was putting my presidency on the line in the fight against galamsey was neither bombast nor recklessness. It was a simple truth,” he said.
The President continued, “We have tried many initiatives, including that of the Community Mining Scheme, and the establishment of a new legal regime for dealing with the perpetrators of this phenomenon, which has imposed severe sanctions on those, Ghanaians and foreigners, convicted of illegal mining. Still, we have not won the fight.”
In seeking further assistance from the National House of Chiefs in addressing the galamsey phenomenon, he noted that taking partisan political interests out of the fight against galamsey is one way forward.
“It can only succeed if it is a truly national battle, which no one seeks to exploit for political gain, 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,” he added.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
