A former director of the Institute of Environment and Sanitation Studies at the University of Ghana, Prof. Chris Gordon has opined that the lack of seriousness among the government, stakeholders and the citizenry at large is to blame for the continued existence of small scale illegal mining, popularly referred to as galamsey.
He says the failure of the nation to decisively tackle the issue has caused the country more harm than good in the fight against the illegalities in the mining sector.
The resurgence of galamsey in some communities in the country has resulted in the pollution of many water bodies, leaving residents who depend on them with difficulty in accessing water.
River bodies saw marginal improvement when a ban was placed on small scale mining.
But in recent times, the state of water bodies has taken a turn for the worst.
Speaking on the Citi Business Edition interview, Prof. Gordon did not mince words in criticising Ghanaians and their leaders for neglecting their responsibilities in clamping down on the harmful mining activities.
“I am very sorry but we are not serious at all and the reason why I say we are not serious is that [not only the government but all of us] you can’t be a chief or indigene of a particular village and say you do not know that an excavator has passed. If there is also a ban on this, you should note that what is going on is wrong.”
Many have taken on the government for what they consider as its failure to deal with galamsey.
Others have already given up on the fight saying it has been lost.
On flooding
On the matter of the perennial flooding in Ghana, Prof. Gordon said only rational and logical change in mindset will save the country in that regard.
“The flooding we have in Accra is 100 percent man-made. People build on waterways and get the houses flooded. We have removed the wetlands, tree covers and soft surfaces and sold lands so the volume of water coming down is beyond what can be contained by natural means. The climate issue is also a man-made one so nobody is safe that is why we are not serious. If we start to think rationally and logically, we will use ideas and facts to help us make our decisions properly. ”
Gov’t won’t weaken stance on galamsey fight despite challenges – Nana Addo
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has renewed his commitment to tackling the issue of illegal small scale mining popularly referred to as ‘galamsey’ in the country.
Delivering the State of the Nation Address in Parliament, the President indicated that the government still stands by its position to use all available means to address the galamsey menace which continues to destroy large portions of the country’s vegetation cover and water resources.
While commending the efforts of the media coalition against galamsey and the Inter-ministerial Committee against Illegal Mining, Nana Addo mentioned that he will ensure that no one in government neglects his or her responsibility in the fight to protect Ghana’s environment.
“When we came into office in January 2017, galamsey activities were rampant in many parts of the country. Our lands, forests and river bodies were being systematically degraded and destroyed without any care and this had been the case for several years. The previous NDC government had given up the fight against galamsey but we determined that this was an intolerable situation and we owed it to generations unborn to tackle the problem and save our environment. I was therefore not under any illusion about the size and scope of the problem that we are taking on. The threat posed to the future of our country by galamsey is grave. We cannot shirk our responsibility in the fight against galamsey. The government will not weaken its stance and welcomes the continued support of the media coalition. The Inter-ministerial Committee against Illegal Mining has been working very hard and has some successes.”
The post Ghana not serious at all in tackling galamsey, flooding – Prof. Chris Gordon appeared first on Citinewsroom - Comprehensive News in Ghana, Current Affairs, Business News , Headlines, Ghana Sports, Entertainment, Politics, Articles, Opinions, Viral Content.
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