A group calling itself Eco-Conscious Citizens Ghana has called on Ghanaians to be responsible citizens and rise against the destruction of our water bodies and forest reserves.
The group says the country is on the verge of a serious environmental crisis, and if we fail to be responsible, we will face a water and food crisis in the near future.
The leader of the group, Pastor Prince Benjamin Mawutor, indicated that our leaders, who are also expected to be responsible leaders and help in dealing with the situation, are the ones who are participating in the canker.
He argued that the call for the declaration of a state of emergency was the right call, and the president must respect the voice of Ghanaians and deal with the matter decisively.
He suggested we have to ban all forms of mining activities, whether small-scale or large-scale, so we put in long-lasting measures that will help address the galamsey menace once and for all.
Mining, he said, ought to be done responsibly and in accordance with the laws of Ghana while prosecuting all individuals engaging in illegal mining, whether the person is a government official or an ordinary citizen.
In November 2022, a new legal instrument, L.I. 2462, ‘Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Regulations’ was passed, a law which several civil society groups have opposed.
Eco-Conscious believes mining our forest reserves is a threat to the green environment and must be halted.
The 2018 ‘Environmental Guidelines for Mining in Production Forest Reserves in Ghana’ that preceded the L.I. allowed a maximum of 2% of the production areas of forest reserves to be mined. But the new regulations that were passed under this government have no such restriction.
Following the passage of the law, mining permits covering large portions of forest reserves, including Nkrabia, Boin Tano, Anhwiaso East, and Tano Anwi, have been granted.
Pastor Mawutor noted that the L.I. must be repealed to help protect our reserves because if we fail to do so, we will face an imminent danger, including negative impacts of climate change.
‘’At this point, the President must declare a state of emergency and deploy the police and military to go to all the mining areas and clear all those mining. We are not against mining, but we are currently facing an existential threat that must be addressed. The President wields all the people and must take action now,’’ he added.
He lamented that the Ghana Water Company Limited is spending beyond its budget to treat water due to the illegal mining activities, whereas we are now having babies with deformities, increased kidney problems, and liver and heart-related conditions.
The man of God described illegal miners as environmental terrorists who must be prosecuted.
He has therefore challenged President Akufo-Addo to take action on Professor Frimpong Boateng’s report as environmental terrorists.
He stressed that ‘’the situation has reached a tipping point.”. We have an opportunity now to take action. We are admonishing the President to act on the report because all those individuals who were cited in the report are still the same people engaging in the illegal mining activities. We have to declare them terrorists who are destroying our water bodies and forest reserves. Religious leaders are talking, civil society groups are talking, and every other interest group, such as Arocha Ghana, has all called on the President to take action’’.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
