Akufo-Addo To Meet National House Of Chiefs, MMDCEs Over Galamsey
The President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is set to meet with the National House of Chiefs and Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives today, October 5, 2022.
The meeting will highlight the menace of illegal mining, what is known in the Ghanaian settings as galamsey.
The Meeting will be held in the Ashanti regional Capital, Kumasi.
The conversation about illegal mining in the country has returned once again.
The menace is threatening not just the country’s forest reserves and water bodies but also the country’s cash crops- cocoa and coffee.
Reports indicate that some farmers have already begun selling off their cocoa farms to galamseyer in rural areas.
Samples of water from some of the river bodies in Ghana fetched by JoyNews showed massive pollution of the country’s waters.
River Tano, Nwui, Offin, Bonsa, Bia, Ankobra, Amoya, Afu Afu and Totoa streams have changed colours according to the samples fetched by JoyNews.
Illegal mining on the country’s water bodies seems to be on the ascendency despite the government’s various initiatives like Operation Halt which is clamping down on galamsey across the country.
Pressure group Occupy Ghana has called on the President to declare a state of emergency at all mining sites in Ghana, a call that has garnered much support from some industry players.
Last month, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources engaged stakeholders including traditional authorities, MMDCs and Regional Ministers over illegal mining whose fight never seemed to come to an end.
After the President posted a flyer announcing his meeting with the chiefs and MMDCEs, his comment session garnered diverse views about the move.
Some of his followers lauded his decision and wished him well whereas others criticised the move.
As some were of the view that the President should rather prioritise the country’s water over gold others echoed calls for a state of emergency to be declared.
Source: opemsuo.com/Hajara Fuseini
