The acting Chief Justice, Paul Baffoe-Bonnie, has urged citizens, particularly those in the media, to use their platforms to elevate discourses on environmental protection, peace and security for national stability.
He said every citizen had the moral and civic responsibility to confront environmental destruction and illegal mining — galamsey, for the ultimate benefit of all.
“The polluted river is not merely an environmental concern; it is a threat to peace itself. Where hunger flows, conflict flourishes, and when our forests fall silent, we lose more than trees and crops.
“We lose our livelihoods, dignity and the promise of tomorrow,” Justice Baffoe-Bonnie said.
He was speaking at the 29th Ghana Journalists Association awards ceremony at the Jubilee Hall at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi, Ashanti Region, last Saturday.
Justice Baffoe-Bonnie described illegal mining as a national crisis that went beyond environmental damage, and cautioned that reckless extraction of gold and other minerals threatened future generations.
He said children now fetched contaminated water from where they used to fetch clean water due to illegal mining, coupled with that was disruption of school by economic and social effects of environmental degradation.
“The gold beneath our feet must not blind us. We must confront the truth that our nation’s survival depends on collective responsibility, accountability and moral courage,” he said.
Justice Baffoe-Bonnie further called for a strong partnership among the executive, legislature, judiciary, civil society and the media, emphasising that democracy was strengthened when institutions operated transparently and collaboratively.
He lauded journalists who risked their lives to report on galamsey, and said their work ensured that truth, justice and conscience guided national policy.
“Let every news story become a sanctuary of truth; every camera a mirror of conscience; every microphone a champion for peace. The pen and the camera, when guided by integrity, are mightier than the excavator,” the Ag. Chief Justice added.
The Minister of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, said the government recognised the media not just as an institution, but the lifeblood of the nation’s democratic dispensation.
“Our press has been a beacon of hope, a mirror of the society as a catalyst for change. the government remains unwavering in its commitment in creating a safe and enabling environment for media freedom and independence.
“It is for this reason that we continue to deepen the culture of tolerance, broaden access to information and ensure the protection of journalists as they carry out their mandate,” he said.
The minister, however, said it was important to have a media that held the country together than tore the nation apart; and a media that spoke truth to power not for the sake of the institution, but for the sake of national cohesion and collective welfare.
Mandate
The Chairman of the National Media Commission, Professor Akua Opokua Britwum, said the annual GJA awards aligned with the commission’s mandate as it served as the benchmark event guiding ethics, values and integrity .
“Such standards which are central to high-quality journalism are reflected in linguistic expression, accuracy in reporting, balance and objectivity in coverage and content,” she said.
The chairperson said that the push to induce pleasure and attract audiences in today’s highly competitive plural media space called for strict adherence to professional ethics towards the growth of the media industry.
