By Albert Allotey
Accra, Oct. 29, GNA – The Coalition of CSOs working on extractives, anti-corruption, and good governance has called on the government to withdraw all licenses granted for reconnaissance, prospecting, exploration and mining in forest and protected areas.
“Repeal the Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Regulation 2022 (L.I. 2462), to protect what is left of Ghana’s forest covers currently under rampage by indiscriminate mining,” they further demanded.
They urged the government to constitute a Multi-stakeholder Group (rather than an interministerial committee) on illegal mining to limit the risk of rent seeking behaviour and ensure a collective fight against the menace.
The Coalition comprised Africa Centre for Energy Policy, Natural Resource Governance Institute, iWatch Africa, Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition, SEND Ghana, and Third World Network Africa.
The rest are Revenue Mobilization Africa, Institute for Energy Security, Centre for Extractives and Development Africa, IMANI Centre for Policy and Education, and Oxfam in Ghana.
They made the demands in a joint statement read by Mr Geoffery Kabutey Ocansey, the Executive Director of Revenue Mobilization Africa at the Africa Water Week 2024 – Ghana partners press engagement on galamsey.
It was organised by Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa and Water Justice for All.
The Coalition said the two main political parties (New Patriotic Party and the National Democratic Congress) must publicly declare and commit to taking concrete and lasting measures to eradicate the menace of illegal mining in 2025 (if any of them wins the December 7, 2024, elections.)
They said they would continue to monitor the government’s efforts and political will in the long-term towards salvaging the nation from the ravages of illegal mining.
Mr Kenneth Ashigbey, Coordinator of the Media Coalition Against Galamsey, and CEO of the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunication in a keynote address urged Ghanaians not to sit on the fence but to actively get involved in the fight against the galamsey by saying enough is enough to the menace.
“We need to be citizens and not spectators by speaking up, otherwise posterity would judge us,” he stated.
GNA