The Ghana Coalition Against Galamsey has issued a formal petition to the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), demanding an immediate halt to fuel supplies powering illegal mining operations across the country.
In a strongly worded letter addressed to the NPA Chief Executive, the coalition described petroleum products as the “lifeblood” of the ongoing environmental destruction and called for the regulatory body to exercise its mandate to “starve” the illegal sector.
The petition highlights a troubling anomaly in mining hotspots, where the density of fuel stations far exceeds the requirements of registered local vehicles.
According to the coalition, these stations serve as primary supply hubs for an estimated 7,000 untracked excavators that continue to devastate water bodies and forest reserves.
The group argues that while the government has focused on seizing heavy machinery, the “war machine” of illegal mining remains operational because of an unchecked flow of diesel.
Legal experts within the coalition pointed to several statutes, including the Minerals and Mining Act and the Criminal Offences Act, asserting that fuel suppliers are currently operating in a state of criminal abetment.
They noted that providing the essential energy for illegal activities falls under the legal definition of facilitation, an offence that carries a potential 25-year prison sentence.
The coalition further stressed that the argument of fuel stations being “innocent sellers” is no longer defensible given the scale of the ecological crisis.
Among its specific demands, the coalition called for the NPA to conduct data-driven audits to identify fuel stations recording suspiciously high sales volumes in remote areas.
The group also urged the authority to revoke the operating licences of oil marketing companies found to be complicit and to permanently ban their directors from the petroleum industry.
The petition, signed by Kenneth Ashigbey and Daryl Bosu, insists on the enforcement of strict “Know Your Customer” protocols.
This would require fuel attendants to verify mining licences or legitimate commercial fleet credentials before dispensing large quantities of diesel into oversized containers.
Copies of the petition have been served to the Presidency, the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition, and the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, signalling a coordinated push by civil society to hold regulators accountable for the environmental “ecocide” currently unfolding in the hinterlands.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
