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Ghana’s first president, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s son, Dr. Sekou Nkrumah, has called on the government to impose a state of emergency on illicit mining (galamsey).
To stop its terrible effects on the environment, he demanded swift and firm action.
Speaking on JoyNews’ The Pulse, Dr. Nkrumah bemoaned the government’s inability to address the issue directly.
“Simple things like galamsey that are destroying the environment, the water bodies, the forest reserve,” he said.
“The government doesn’t have the political will to say enough is enough to stop it.”
According to Dr. Nkrumah, the answer is simple, but it calls for fearless leadership.
Declare a state of emergency in such places because the remedy is straightforward but requires political will. On Monday, September 22, he demanded, “Send the army there, and it will be stopped.”
He also emphasized that after the illicit activities are firmly stopped, longer-term fixes like youth involvement and job development can be sought to address the underlying roots of the issue.
“There is one way of stopping it right now, and then afterwards we can deal with the issues of these young people who don’t have jobs.”
There is strong public opposition to President John Dramani Mahama’s hesitation to declare a state of emergency in order to address illegal mining, also known as galamsey.
Prominent organizations like the Ghana Coalition against Galamsey (GCAG), the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference (GCBC), and the National Catholic Laity Council (NCLC) have criticized the president’s decision, calling the postponement of declaring a state of emergency a betrayal of the nation’s efforts to combat an existential threat.
In a statement released last Monday night and signed by Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyaamfi, the Catholic Bishop of Sunyani and President of the GCBC, the president was urged to declare a state of emergency right once in order to initiate unprecedented steps that would effectively address the threat.
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com
