In light of the illicit mining situation, or galamsey, the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra and the Conference of Major Superiors of Religious, Ghana, have petitioned President Akufo-Addo to declare a state of emergency.
Following the church’s “Environmental Prayer Walk” protesting the significant environmental damage, the petition was delivered on Friday, October 11.
The petition was accepted on the President’s behalf by Emmanuel Aduamoa Bossman, Deputy Chief of Staff.
The purpose of the walk was to raise awareness and ask for divine intervention over the pollution of water bodies and the ruin of farmlands.
The church has expressed serious worry over the past attempts to stop galamsey, pointing out that the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference multiple communiqués was ignored.
The petition emphasized that, considering galamsey’s disastrous effects on the environment, agriculture, and public health, immediate and decisive government action is required.
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In addition to the health dangers associated with the use of hazardous compounds like mercury, the church emphasized the severe contamination of important rivers including the Pra, Ankobra, Densu, Tano, Offin, and Birim, making them unfit for agricultural use and rendering them undrinkable.
In addition to calling for the proclamation of a state of emergency, the church suggested a moratorium on the issuance of new mining licenses, the repeal of the statute permitting mining in forest reserves, and the application of the full weight of the law, without mercy or fear, to those who engage in unlawful mining.
It also demanded that leaders take the lead in an open, community-led initiative to remediate contaminated waterways and reclaim damaged lands.
Acknowledging that a significant number of illicit miners are motivated by financial desperation, the Church recommended the government to allocate funds towards alternative livelihood initiatives, specifically in the agricultural sector, in order to offer long-term job prospects to individuals presently involved in galamsey.
