Ghanaians should vote for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to address the challenges facing the mining sector. Illegal mining has contaminated many of our rivers, the environment, forest reserves, and overall ecology.
It is on record that the government and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have compromised the issuance of mining licenses to politically connected individuals, making it difficult for the government to curb illegal mining activities. Prosper Hoetu, Senior Research Officer, the NDC spokesperson on the manifesto, made these remarks on the Adekyee Mu Nsem morning show hosted by Citizen Kofi Owusu in Accra.
He asserted that the government is aware of the illegal mining operations occurring in our forests. Agencies such as the Ghana Minerals Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources are responsible for granting mining licenses and ensuring sustainable practices. Hoetu believes these agencies are complicit in the ongoing destruction of our forests and river bodies.
He criticized the government’s numerous ad-hoc committees and involvement of security organizations, claiming these efforts have failed because these institutions are reluctant to enforce the law and prosecute offenders.
In related news, research staff are calling for the urgent reconvening of Parliament to repeal Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 2462, officially known as the Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Regulations 2022.
A joint statement from the Research Staff Association (RSA) and the Research Scientists Association (RSA) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) emphasized that if Parliament can be convened to grant tax exemptions, it should act with similar urgency to repeal L.I. 2462 in order to combat illegal mining, commonly referred to as galamsey.
This demand adds to the growing chorus of voices in Ghana advocating for a ban on illegal mining and the declaration of a state of emergency against destructive practices.
“We further demand that Parliament be urgently recalled to repeal the Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Regulation 2022 (L.I. 2462), which allows mining in forest reserves. If Members of Parliament can be recalled to grant tax exemptions for companies they believe bring substantial investments, they should act with similar urgency to address the galamsey crisis.
“This issue is a ticking time bomb, threatening to derail all the economic gains and investments made by the nation, and thus immediate action is needed,” the researchers’ statement read in part.
L.I. 2462 is a legislative instrument that permits mining activities within forest reserves under specific conditions, allowing mining if deemed in the national interest.
Other associations and groups, including Organised Labour, have given the government until the end of September to find a lasting solution to this issue or face a series of industrial strikes.
Story By: Alexander Kukah
