By Priscilla Oye Ofori
Accra, Sept. 16, GNA —Mr Alhassan Iddrissu, a Lawyer and Legal Advocate at the Centre for Public Interest Law (CEPIL), has called for an independent neutral body to spearhead the fight against illegal mining.
He said despite the numerous efforts and financial investments made by preceding and current governments to fight illegal mining, no success had been chalked due to the politicisation of the exercise and inadequate political commitment.
Mr Iddrisu in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra, said after the launch of the national campaign against illegal mining, many stakeholders including the media, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and Faith Based Organisations (FBOs) supported the campaign.
He said, unfortunately, the activities of some key political actors alienated the national effort and there was no government commitment to deal with them.
The Lawyer accused the political class of engaging in the act and interfering in the work of all public bodies responsible for the conservation of the environment and mining.
Mr Iddrisu said asked the Government to ensure impartial and rigorous enforcement of mining laws, policies, and regulations.
‘‘The effective implementation and enforcement of existing mining laws and regulations are essential to curb illegal mining and ensure safeguard for the human rights of the affected people,’ he stated.
The Lawyer observed that the Artisanal and Small-scale Mining (ASM) sector was marked by haphazard mining activities, occurring everywhere and anywhere gold minerals were found.
He added that the absence of clearly defined mineable areas made it difficult to track and control the activities of illegal mining.
Hence, Mr Iddrisu called for a ‘complete freeze of ASM’ across the country whilst efforts were made to re-demarcate a limited allowable mining area to allow for proper supervision and regulation of the mining activities.
The Legal Advocate said the effects of the pollution of water bodies on the health of the citizenry as well as the destruction of cocoa farmlands by illegal mining was overwhelming, adding that the country was on a time bomb, waiting to explode.
CEPIL is a non-partisan, not-for-profit, Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), founded in 1999, with the primary aim of making the pursuit of justice accessible and affordable to poor and marginalised communities and individuals.
GNA