Ghanaian environmental activist Gideon Commey has taken the fight against illegal mining, also known as “galamsey”, to the climate change conference (COP27) at Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt.
The founder of Ghana Youth Environmental Movement staged a one-man protest at the ongoing COP27 to draw the attention of the international community on what he describes as the government’s failure to tackle the galamsey menace.
“I staged the one-man protest at #COP27 yesterday as an activist who deeply cares about the climate, and a concerned Ghanaian citizen frustrated and angry at the current state of our water bodies and forests because of galamsey (illegal small-scale mining).
“The attention the video has received and overall support for the campaign has been overwhelming. This shows I spoke the minds of thousands of Ghanaians who are exhausted and feeling hopeless about the lack of conviction, leadership and action from our political leaders,” Commey posted on Facebook.
“This in turn gives me hope about what our youth can do if we rise, speak truth to power and hold leaders accountable. Thank you everyone! I’m also grateful to Collins Gameli Hodoli for providing me with direct support without which I wouldn’t have been successful yesterday,” he added.
The investigation, titled ‘Galamsey Economy’ will focus on galamsey menace in the country.
PRESS RELEASE – 13•11•2022
GALAMSEY ECONOMY EXPOSÉ:
ACCRA INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CENTRE PREVENTS TIGER EYE FROM USING VENUE FOR PUBLIC SHOWING
1. Tiger Eye P. I. hereby informs the public that it has been stopped from screening its latest undercover investigative piece pic.twitter.com/nJsrAsyBDl
According to a release sighted by GhanaWeb, inasmuch as Tiger Eye PI has already fulfilled every requirement of AICC to use the place including payment for the venue, there has been a last minute change in cost by about per cent (30%).
It pointed out that Tiger Eye’s agent is securing another auditorium for the event.
Meanwhile, all tickets already out are valid for the new venue.
“Tiger Eye P. I. hereby informs the public that it has been stopped from screening its latest undercover investigative piece titled ‘Galamsey Economy’ at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) which is scheduled this Monday and Tuesday (14 &15) of November 2022,” part of the statement read.
Read the press release below;
13 November 2022
PRESS RELEASE
GALAMSEY ECONOMY EXPOSÉ:
ACCRA INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CENTRE PREVENTS TIGER EYE FROM USING VENUE FOR PUBLIC SHOWING
1. Tiger Eye P. I. hereby informs the public that it has been stopped from screening its latest undercover investigative piece titled ‘Galamsey Economy’ at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) which is scheduled this Monday and Tuesday (14 &15) of November 2022.
2. Management of AICC informed Tiger Eye through our agent on Saturday, 12 November 2022, that the venue is no longer available for use on the said dates.
3. Tiger Eye has already fulfilled every requirement of AICC to use the place including payment for the venue despite last minute change in cost by about per cent (30%).
4. Tiger Eye is saddened that barely 48 hours to the public screenings, when invitations have been sent to the diplomatic community and other high-profile individuals in society, and flyers sent out to the public, we have had to look for a new venue.
5. We would like to apologise to the public for the inconvenience in change of venue. Our agent is securing another auditorium and we will update the public soon on the new venue.
6. All tickets already out are valid for the new venue.
A former Director of the Minerals Commission, Richard Kofi Afenu, says he disagrees with calls for the government to ban small-scale mining in the country.
According to him, banning small-scale mining is not the answer to illegal mining otherwise known as galamsey.
“I do not think a ban on small-scale mining would yield the desired result of fighting illegal mining. In 2017, a ban was imposed on mining. The question is, were are we able to root out illegal mining?”
He argues that the astronomical increase in gold production when a ban on mining was imposed in 2018, was enough evidence that a new ban will not yield the required results but will only make room for illegal mining to prevail.
Speaking to Citi News, Mr. Afenu wants the government to provide lasting solutions, including the stringent enforcement of laws that govern mining in the country.
“We need to look at the drivers, and what is causing illegal mining in the country. Let’s tackle the root cause. Let us see the powers that are backing the illegal miners”.
Already, analysts have warned Ghana risks being food and water insecure as the activities of illegal miners continue to destroy water bodies and ravage farmlands.
Religious groups, Civil Society Groups such as Green Advocate Ghana among others have called on the government to ban small-scale mining in the country.
These groups posit that both illegal and legal small-scale mining had destroyed biodiversity, hence the need for its restoration.
A superintendent of Immigration has told an Accra High Court that he has no personal information that Aisha Huang was engaged in illegal mining.
Ruben Ransford Aborabora is the Attorney General’s first witness in the trial of the Chinese alleged to be a key architect of illegal mining in the Ashanti Region.
Director of Public Prosecution Yvonne Attakora Obuobisa led the Immigration Officer to testify as the state’s first witness.
Supt. Aborabora told that court that sometime in 2017, he and his men embarked on an operation to arrest persons alleged to be mining illegally at Bepotenten in the Ashanti region.
He told the court that various mining equipment were seen at the site including excavators.
He said one of the arrested Chinese informed him that they were mining for Aisha Huang.
He submitted videos showing the mining equipment and site to the court.
Lawyers for Aisha Huang led by Nkrabeah Effah Dartey then cross-examined the witness.
Mr Dartey questioned him on whether he had on his own verified the allegations by the Chinese or had any independent means of verifying this. This is what transpired.
Question-Even with your compact disk video, you have no personal independent information verified by you against the accused.
Answer: No my lord. I have no personal information.
Question: If Gao jin Chen gave you the wrong information then your source is wrong
Answer: Yes my lord. I only reported on what Gao jin Chem told me. And I forwarded the same in my report.
Question: My lord I have no further questions for a witness who has no personal information.
The case has been adjourned to November 14 for continuation.
The first witness in the case involving Chinese national; Aisha Huang who has been arrested for allegedly engaging in illegal small-scale mining (galamsey), has made his appearance in court.
Supt. Ransford Aborabora of the Ghana Immigration Service; the first witness, told the court that he was part of the enforcement team that first chanced on her illegal activities.
The witness told the court that on May 6, 2017, he led a team to Obuasi, where they stormed a site where galamsey activities were ongoing.
This was during the period that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo had placed a ban on the activities of small-scale mining in the country.
Supt. Aborabora told the court that regardless of this, they had received intel to the effect that some people were flouting the directive and had been mining at the said site.
He said that on reaching the location, they were able to arrest four Chinese nationals, one of whom was called Gao Gin.
He also told the court that Gao told them that they were working for Aisha Huang and that their passports were even with her.
The witness added that the team then took videos and pictures as evidence, which he tendered in to the court.
The video, according to GhanaWeb’s reporter, George Ayisi, was played in court.
The defence, in their cross-examination, stated that they did not have any direct evidence that Aisha was involved in galamsey or that she was in charge as alleged by the other Chinese national who was arrested.
The prosecution then concluded its cross-examination for the day.
The trial has been adjourned to November 14, 2022.
However, the lawyer for Aisha Huang, Nkrabea Effah Dartey, appealed for bail for his client but it was again denied, on the same grounds that the accused is a foreigner with no social ties to Ghana.
Background:
Ms. Huang in 2017 was charged for undertaking small-scale mining operations contrary to Section 99 (1) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703).
She was also charged with providing mine support services without valid registration with the Minerals Commission, contrary to Section 59 and 99 (2) of the Minerals and Mining Act; and also charged with illegal employment of foreign nationals (in breach of section 24 of the Immigration Act and regulation 18 of the Immigration Regulations).
Her case was however discontinued and she was deported. Her deportation meant the state discontinued the trial against her.
She however found her way back into the country leading to her recent arrest. An Accra Circuit court last week remanded Aisha Huang and three other Chinese nationals into custody to reappear on charges of illegal gold mining and trading.
Her recent arrest is on the same issues of illegal mining.
Farmers in the Kwaebiberem Municipality in the Eastern Region have attributed the low monetary returns from their farms as the reason they exchange their farmlands for illegal mining also known as galamsey.
The farmers, who are mostly cocoa farmers, want the producer price of cocoa increased to cushion them taking into consideration the current economic mishaps.
Already, cocoa farms in Kwaebiberem have been left with large pits by illegal small-scale miners.
But these farmers say the government’s investment in the sector will help end the menace.
“If the government wants the cocoa sector to thrive, it has to increase the price at which cocoa is sold. Some farmers hand over their lands to illegal miners because they are offered good sums of money. Transportation alone takes so much of our proceeds. How do we survive and cater for our children’s education? Something must be done, otherwise we will import cocoa other than export”, one of them lamented.
The youth in the area are said to be engaged in illegal acts because most of the town’s cocoa farmlands have been sold by family members for illegal mining (galamsey) use.
A visit by Citi News to the area revealed cocoa farms have been left with large pits by illegal small-scale miners.
Residents said unknown persons came from outside the community to prospect and eventually destroy the land with their illegal mining activities.
Some of the pits in the area had been left for up to eight years.
Despite the government’s rhetoric in the fight against illegal mining, illegal miners were still at work in this particular district.
A resident who spoke to Citi News noted that the situation has become dire.
“This is the most dangerous aspect. People have their cocoa farms, they sell them and after taking the money, that’s all. Some invest the money in other businesses, but that is not favourable for everyone.”
The Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) has disclosed that over 140,000 people in Odaso and Obuasi in the Ashanti Region, have limited access to water on a daily basis as a result of illegal mining (galamsey).
According to the company, it has drastically reduced the volumes of water sent to households in these areas, because galamsey is directly affecting its production and general operations.
Residents of Obuasi and its vicinity are accustomed to experiencing acute water shortagesbecause they receive piped water from the Odaso headworks.
Individuals living there say they are used to going weeks without any water coming out of their faucets.
“We don’t often get water from our taps but every month we are being served with water bills to pay. This is really frustrating” says Gifty Ampomah, an Obuasi resident.
To obtain water for domestic purposes, they must rely on groundwater or, in some cases, nearby streams. Those who can afford to buy sachet water for drinking purposes also do so.
“My family and I drink at least a bag of sachet water every day. But the price of the water has in recent time gone up making life unbearable for us”, Kofi Anning hinted.
“The illegal miners work at night and we don’t have any weapons to face them off. It’s risky to confront them at night”, chief of Odaso Nana Agyei hummed.
Another worried resident, Albert Nyarko, noted, “we used to drink from the Oda River but not anymore. Even the military has not been successful in stopping the illegal miners. If you don’t take care, the miners will attack you”.
The situation is not too different from the Konongo water treatment plant.
According to officials, the daily cost of production has shot up from 7,000 cedis to 80,000 because more expensive chemicals have to be used in treating the water.
Odaso treatment plant faces imminent shut down
The GWCL is also facing severe problems in their water treatment facilities in the Ashanti, Western, Eastern and Western North Regions due to heavy pollution and consequently, low production.
Citing the current dire situation in Odaso and Obuasi, GWCL says the continuous pollution of the Oda River by activities of illegal miners, has negatively affected output such that their four million gallons per day production has currently been reduced to about a million gallons a day.
This situation therefore threatens the sustainability of the Odaso treatment plant
According to water company officials, the high amount of contamination at the input source causes at least 50% of the treated water to be wasted.
Due to this, villages that receive their water via pipes from the Odaso treatment facility have started to practice water rationing on a regular basis.
“For every normal plant, when we treat water, 5% of the water is lost. But for Odaso, we are experiencing a case as a result of illegal mining (galamsey) where about 50% translating into 2 million gallons of the water is lost after treatment”, Ashanti regional water quality assurance manager, Adam Yakubu disclosed.
The Ghana Water Company Limited noted, the high turbidity level is causing frequent breakdown of the pumps at the Odaso beadwork.
“Most of our pumps are not designed to treat this kind of water. They’re normally for turbidites around 5 to 10 but now we are experiencing turbidites of almost 3,000 and colour of 16,000 platinum-cobalt compared to the approved of about 200 and 300 platinum-cobalt. So as a result, the effect is dire on our equipment”, Mr Yakubu revealed.
Most Rev. Prof. Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mante, the 18th Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, has tasked Ghanaians to critique the government using the proper channels stressing that doing otherwise ultimately hurts the economy as it has the tendency of chasing away investors.
“There is a medium to raise concerns about issues not to dirty each other in the media. The more we say negative things about our country, the more prices will shoot up. Because there is no investor who will seriously take you seriously.
“It is this that someone wanted to say when he said sika mpɛ dede,” he added in reference to controversial comments President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo made in his October 30 economic address to the nation.
The clergyman was speaking at an event to climax the Centenary celebration of the Asante presbytery in Kumasi over the weekend, where he observed that the economic difficulties Ghanaians were experiencing were not unique to Ghana.
But that over-politicization has become the norm, hence opposition parties are always acting in ways that shame the government so that they can boost their chances of winning power.
“Ghana has become very difficult. But I also know that the whole world has become very difficult. I know that things have become very difficult and in Ghana, many people are not educated to know that there is a serious world crisis.
“If you say it, many don’t believe because everything is politicized, so the opposition is interested in doing what will shame the ruling government so that he can be voted for. That kind of politics must be shunned, it is not nice. It doesn’t convince those of us who are educated,” he stressed.
What Akufo-Addo said about Ghana being in a crisis
Amid an economic downturn, calls for Akufo-Addo to resign has heightened with a November 5, 2022 protest dubbed ‘Kume Preko Reloaded’ making the loudest call as activists and politicians marched in Accra to press home that demand.
The government is meanwhile, grappling with an economic crisis, which along with the galamsey scourge and corruption are the major drivers for the call on Akufo-Addo to resign along with his Vice President, Mahamadu Bawumia.
Akufo-Addo in his October 30 address on the economy blamed the Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war as causes for the country’s economic woes.
While admitting that the country was in crisis and rallying support for various government interventions to stem the tide, he said the situation was not peculiar to the country as many nations across the world were also experiencing difficulties.
“We are in a crisis, I do not exaggerate when I say so. I cannot find an example in history when so many malevolent forces have come together at the same time.
“But, as we have shown in other circumstances, we shall turn this crisis into an opportunity to resolve not just the short-term, urgent problems, but the long-term structural problems that have bedevilled our economy,” he said.
But like before, President Akufo-Addo blamed the Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war as causative factors for the economic woes.
A senior lecturer at the Ghana Institute of Managementand Public Administration (GIMPA), Dr. Adwoa Yirenkyi Fianko is proposing the use of local materials in the treatment of polluted water due to illegal mining (galamsey) activities.
She says moringa seeds, coconut and corn husks have proven to be effective materials in dealing with galamsey-induced water contamination.
This came to light during a media engagement on on Galamsey, held on Thursday, November 3, 2022.
Dr. Fianko’s proposal was based on research findings from her doctoral thesis titled, “Impact of artisanal and small scale mining on water bodies and treatment; a case study of Birim River Basin in Ghana”.
Sharing her thoughts on how to deal with the menace, she said, coconut and corn husks are able to remove 100 percent of lead from polluted water whilst moringa seeds clear about 99 percent of iron particles.
Coconut husk and corn husk again remove about 97 and 88 percent of iron from polluted water, respectively.
Same materials are able to remove about 70 percent of arsenic from the water, “which is generally good”, she said.
Dr. Adwoa Yirenkyi Fianko further disclosed that, Moringa also serves as a coagulant, which has proven to be almost effective as an alum in the treatment of water.
“So these are some of the findings we came back with. With the moringa seeds, what you have to do is wash, dry and crush them and add them to the water and make sure that, there is some contact time. With the research, we used about 30 minutes contact time by just shaking it for about three minutes and allowing it to sit for a while”, the lecturer explained.
The media Galamsey Dialogue dubbed “Galamsey and Ghana’s Water Security” brought together important stakeholders in the water sector to deliberate on the state of Ghana’s water resources and examine the effects of illegal mining on Ghana’s water security.
The upsurge in activities of illegal miners poses threats on many levels to the country, among which national security and water security are the most prominent.
The pollution of water bodies, which provide the raw water for the production of potable water for the population, is particularly concerning as the threat seems to be escalating daily.
There have been concerns that, Ghana risks importing water in the coming years if steps are not taken to remedy the situation.
An Environmental Scientist, Professor Chris Gordon, has described illegal mining popularly known as galamsey as a “mental problem” adding that if urgent measures are not taken to stop the menace, the country will be mortgaging its future.
Speaking on Citi TV’s roundtable discussion on Galamsey, on Thursday, November 3, 2022, the former Director of the Institute for Environment and Sanitation Studies at the University of Ghana said Galamsey is a full-time problem that cannot be solved with part-time responses.
“Galamsey is a mental problem, it is a mental problem because you cannot steal today and expect to eat your cake tomorrow,” Professor Gordon said.
Professor Gordon who enumerated some of the dangers of illegal mining said the major danger with galamsey is the destruction of water bodies which makes treatment difficult for domestic use.
“There is no substitute for water, if you don’t eat yam, you can eat cassava, but water may be beer, but there is no substitute for it.”
The discussion touched on the potential effects of galamsey on water bodies, as well as measures to restore these water bodies.
The Citi Galamsey Dialogue dubbed “Galamsey and Ghana’s Water Security” aimed at bringing together important stakeholders in the water sector to deliberate on the state of Ghana’s water resources and examine the effects of illegal mining on Ghana’s water security.
Dr. Bob Alfa, Director of Planning at the Water Resources Commission; and Dr. Adwoa Yirenkyi Fianko, a Senior Lecturer at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) spoke at the event.
The Director of Planning at the Water Resources Commission, Dr. Bob Alfa says Ghana is already importing water.
Speaking at the Citi TV’s Roundtable Discussion on Galamsey, Mr. Alfa said: “I hear people say all the time that if we don’t take time, we will soon import water. When we say Ghana is importing water, we often look at the physical importation but on the face of it, that is already happening. We are importing labour and tools into our water supply mechanisms.”
“Whatever we consume is produced with water and if you don’t develop your water resources, and then you import some country’s products, what you are importing is what they have done as far as their water development is concerned,” he explained.
He blamed the issue on the country’s lack of investment in its water resources.
“We do not even invest in our water resources, we do not manage our water resources very well.”
The Water Resources Commission (WRC) was established by an Act of Parliament (Act 522 of 1996) with the mandate to regulate and manage Ghana’s Water Resources and coordinate government policies in relation to them.
The Act stipulates that ownership and control of all water resources are vested in the President on behalf of the people, and clearly defines the WRC as the overall body responsible for water resources management in Ghana.
The Commission, which provides a forum for integration and collaboration of different interests, is composed of the major stakeholders involved in the water sector.
The Citi Galamsey Dialogue dubbed “Galamsey and Ghana’s Water Security” aimed at bringing together important stakeholders in the water sector to deliberate on the state of Ghana’s water resources and examine the effects of illegal mining on Ghana’s water security.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Commodity Monitor Ltd, Stephen Yeboah, has made a strong case that the country’s galamsey ordeal will best be tackled if appropriate technologies are employed in the small-scale mining sector to ensure responsible and sustainable mining.
He argued that given the contribution of the mining sector to the country’s economic development, instead of banning the activities, appropriate technologies must be used and the traditional approach changed to eliminate the negative impact on the environment.
The artisanal and small-scale mining subsector contributes about 40 percent of the total gold production and generates both direct and indirect employment, with more than one million people directly engaged in the subsector and an additional four million people indirectly dependent on it for their livelihoods.
Mr. Yeboah holds that artisanal and small-scale mining is not wrong, however, the irresponsible manner in which some miners carry out their activities including the use of mercury, directing tailings into river bodies and mounting machinery, such as Changfas, into river bodies needed to be checked, to build a responsible and sustainable sector.
“The small mining sector is a huge one with about one million people involved. If you go to some communities, more than 90 percent of the young people are into mining, so imagine stopping it. It was banned initially but it still persists so the sustainable way of dealing with it is to change the way they work and not to put a blanket ban on the activities,” he said.
“More worrying is the unregulated, high use and exposure of mercury in gold recovery by artisanal and small scale miners. Mercury use in this sector globally is estimated to be over 2000 tonnes each year with virtually all of the chemicals released finding their way into the atmosphere, water bodies, and land.
This puts miners and communities at risk of impacts from permanent brain damage to seizures, vision and hearing loss, and delayed childhood development,” he added.
Solution
To mitigate this and to bring an end, his outfit, Commodity Monitor Limited, a Ghanaian-owned trading, logistics and research company, has rolled out sustainable mineral processing technologies for small and large scale miners.
The cleaner gold mining and extraction technology will eliminate mercury and develop capacity and regulatory mechanisms that will enable the sector to minimize its negative environmental impact while boosting operations.
The mining plants are supplied as fully comprehensive modular solutions from ore through gold dore, or bagged mineral concentrates as appropriate without using toxic mercury. The machines improve the operations of miners in terms of high productivity and ensure superior gold recovery.
“The goal of the rollout of the mercury-free mineral processing technology is to assist artisanal and small scale miners with efficient mining plants and equipment that achieve three basic goals, that is, high tonnes per hour processing, no mercury use and high gold recovery”, he said.
The technology ensures high recovery. The current processing method allows miners to recover just about 35 percent of their gold. This new mercury-free technology recovers more than 90 percent gravity-recoverable gold.
For the many decades of operations of small scale miners, there has been unfettered dependence on mercury as the main source of gold recovery in Ghana. The consequence is that abandoned mercury mine wastes usually contain high mercury concentrations due to inefficiency.
“Our mercury-free technology utilises ‘soil washing’ as a remediation technique – which means mercury contents are extracted from the mine wastes and tailings to prevent further washdown into rivers and water sources”.
“Our technology contributes to the fight against galamsey. The good news is that the Government of Ghana through the Minerals Commission has made our technology the main mineral processing technology for all Community Mining Areas. The 100 plants purchased were commissioned by the President of Ghana Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in June 2022. This is a significant and critical step taken by the Government,” he stated.
Mr. Yeboah is confident the fight against galamsey can be won by making this technology available to all artisanal and small-scale miners, saying a mercury-free way of mining is the right path to take. It will accelerate the implementation of the Minamata Convention on Mercury, which Ghana is a signatory. In 2017, Ghana ratified the Minamata Convention on Mercury to reduce and eliminate mercury use in the minerals sector.
“It is the surest way of leveraging transformation in the artisanal and small-scale mining sector,” he said.
Currently, he said, over 20 of the mercury-free mining machines had been deployed in mining communities such as Wa, Bongo, and Tarkwa, among other mining areas across the country.
Despite President Nana Akufo-Addo’s warnings to his Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executive (MMDCEs) to frown on illegal mining activities or risk being sacked, the youth and opinion leaders of Asaman Tamfoe in the Atewa East Constituency of Eastern Region are accusing the District Chief Executive (DCE), Lawyer Kwabena Payin Nkansah, of dabbling in the illicit activities also known as galamsey in the name of community mining.
The two groups are accusing the DCE of dereliction of duties in the declared fight against galamsey in the area. They accused the DCE of turning a blind eye to galamsey activities in the area.
In September, 16 persons were arrested in connection with a shooting incident at Asaman Tamfoe in the Atewa East District of the Eastern Region.
A statement signed by Police Superintendent Ebenezer Tetteh of the Public Affairs, Eastern Region, said the incident occurred between some persons believed to be illegal miners and a community anti-galamsey taskforce on September 29, 2022, when they clashed in the area.
The DCE vehemently denied this allegation speaking in an interview with Emmanuel Quarshie (The Hitman), the host of Ghana Yensom morning show on Accra 100.5 FM on Wednesday, November 2 2022.
According to the DCE, he is not aware that galamsey activities are ongoing in the Asaman Tamfoe area.
He was categorical to say there were no galamsey activities in the area.
“I don’t know if there are any galamsey activities ongoing in the area.
“My attention has not been drawn to any such activities in the area,” he said.
He maintained that the people who are making the allegations should have called on his office to inform him of any galamsey activities in Asaman Tamfoe rather than coming on the radio.
He expressed his displeasure about the issues of galamsey in the area adding that he is rather aware of community mining which has not even started since it was launched in July in the area.
“I‘m aware the people making the allegations have all been against me in the area.
“What I know is what I’m telling you, I don’t know anything about galamsey in the area,” he stressed.
Wofa Yaw Owusu, an opinion leader at Asaman Tamfoe insists the DCE and the chief of the area, Osabrima Kwame Kuh II, are complicit in the activities of illegal mining in the area.
He alleged that the chief has allocated a stool land for galamsey activities in the area.
According to him, they know what the DCE and the chief are doing concerning galamsey activities so they have refused to answer queries from the media any time they are called upon.
A youth leader, Ernest Butha also told The Hitman that the youth in the area have registered their displeasure about galamsey activities in the area because it had destroyed the main source of water named Tamfoe.
When The Hitman further called up the chief, he flatly denied the activities of galamsey in the area adding that he was rather aware of community mining in the area.
A founding member of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe, has criticized President Akufo-Addo for failing to mention the menace of corruption and illegal small-scale mining in his address to Ghanaians on the hardship in the country.
In an XYZ TV interview monitored by GhanaWeb, Dr. Nyaho-Tamakloe said that the country was losing a lot of money because of illegal small-scale mining (galamsey) and the president failing to mention it is telling.
He added that corruption, which the president also failed to mention, is the main cause of the hardship Ghanaians are currently facing.
“One thing that was surprising is that the president didn’t talk about galamsey when he was addressing the nation. He should have taken the opportunity to touch on the sensitive areas that have run the economy down.
“Because just as the Asantehene was saying the last time, the gold that comes out of our soil appears to be smuggled out. Our water bodies and forests are just being destroyed for nothing.
“He also failed to touch on corruption which shocked me. Because I can tell you that 70 percent of the problems we have now are because of corruption. And if that is put right, this country will have no problem. There is corruption from top to bottom; that was what I was expecting the president to address,” he said.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, during his address on Sunday, admitted that times are hard economically and that his government is working assiduously to provide relief to the citizenry.
He stressed in an address on the economy that his administration was ready to work towards restoring and resetting the economy on the path of progress and stability.
These views were contained in his October 30, 2022, address to the nation on the state of the economy.
“For us, in Ghana, our reality is that our economy is in great difficulty. The budget drawn for the 2022 fiscal year has been thrown out of gear, disrupting our balance of payments and debt sustainability, and further exposing the structural weaknesses of our economy.
“We are in a crisis; I do not exaggerate when I say so. I cannot find an example in history when so many malevolent forces have come together at the same time,” he added.
“But, as we have shown in other circumstances, we shall turn this crisis into an opportunity to resolve not just the short-term, urgent problems but the long-term structural problems that have bedevilled our economy.
“I urge us all to see the decision to go to the International Monetary Fund in this light,” he stressed.
The State has disclosed it will call 11 witnesses in its criminal case against Chinese galamsey Queen, Aisha Huang.
The first witness is billed to appear before the High Court next Wednesday, November 9, 2022.
The Attorney General brought fresh charges against the acclaimed illegal miner shortly after she was busted in Kumasi by National Security and arraigned in the Accra Circuit Court.
In a virtual arraignment two months ago, the Attorney General’s Department said it was charging Aisha Huang with undertaking a mining operation without a license, facilitating the participation of persons engaged in a mining operation, illegal employment of foreigners, and re-entering Ghana while under prohibition so to do.
The Director of Public Prosecutions, Yvonne Atakorah Obuobisa, told the Court on Wednesday that some of the witnesses have audiovisual materials which will be played in the course of their testimonies.
She said all documents the State intends to rely on have also been duly filed and served, and they are ready to proceed to trial.
Lawyer for Aisha Huang, Captain (Rtd.) Nkrabeah Effah Dartey told the court they had indeed received the “voluminous encyclopedic documents they [Prosecution] filed.”
The Court is thus adjourned to November 9, for trial to commence.
President Nana Akufo-Addo has welcomed concerns raised by religious leaders on the devastating state of river bodies and forest reserves as a result of illegal small-scale mining (galamsey), describing their support in the fight against the menace as apt.
In his interaction with religious leaders drawn from the Christian Council of Ghana, Ghana Pentecostal Council, Ghana Charismatic and Pentecostal Council, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference and the National Muslim Council, on Tuesday 1 November 2022, at the Jubilee House, President Akufo-Addo said the ongoing discourse on galamsey in the country during his term in office demonstrates that the entire nation is poised to eradicate illegal mining in the country.
The visit of the religious leaders was essentially a follow-up to a press release they issued on 17 October 2022, demanding a total ban on small-scale mining in the country in order to send a strong message to those involved in the menace.
President Akufo-Addo expressed his appreciation to the leaders for their interest in supporting government’s efforts aimed at dealing with the “galamsey” phenomenon.
The delegation of religious leaders was led by Rev Professor J.O.Y Mante, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana and chairman of the Christian Council of Ghana.
“We have visited some galamsey sites and we have seen some dangerous things that for us cannot even be expressed in textbooks,” Rev Mante said. “We see that the thing (galamsey) is getting worse. We are here if you like, as your spiritual leaders to find out if there is any problem that we don’t know. We would like to know.
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, after the closed door meeting told the Jubilee House press corps that he was invited by the President to brief the leaders on their concerns and their call for small-scale mining to be banned in its entirety.
He indicated that after his briefing, the religious leaders expressed satisfaction with the government’s stance on their demands and pledged to support all ongoing efforts of government aimed at stopping illegal mining in the country.
Some religious leaders in the country have suggested to President Akufo-Addo to as a matter of urgency ban illegal small-scale mining (galamsey) in the country.
According to these religious leaders, the country’s water bodies and their accompanying reservoirs have all been depleted by the activities of illegal miners.
In a meeting with the President on November 1, 2022, at the Jubilee House, the religious leaders, who were alarmed by the operations of illegal miners, explained that banning all forms of mining will go a long way in restoring sanity in galamsey enclaves.
Speaking on behalf of the clergy, the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church, Rt. Rev. Professor Joseph Obiri Mante lamented that differentiating between small-scale mining and galamsey has become a herculean task.
“Now we cannot tell whether those who are doing legal mining have turned out to be illegal, we don’t know which one is galamsey and so on and so forth, we are just wondering if it will be possible to place a ban on all small scale mining. Just to make a statement, we know we get money (from galamsey) but at what cost,” he said during the meeting.
Nefarious activities by illegal miners in the country have become a topical issue, with a section of Ghanaians calling on the President to regulate their activities.
Thirteen persons have been arrested in the Dormaa East District of the Bono Region for engaging in illegal mining, popularly called galamsey.
They were grabbed following a joint operation involving personnel of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), National Investigation Bureau, Dormaa East District Police Command, and Dormaa East Assembly Members.
The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Dormaa East, Emmanuel Kofi Agyeman, who briefed journalists after the operation, said the suspects were arrested at different locations in the district engaging in galamsey on Saturday.
He said at Supre, in the Dormaa Akwamu area, the suspects Atanga Kenneth, 25, Amalia Augustine, 23, Amalia Michael,20, Alameya Joshua, 20, and Akasoa Rosemary, 20, were arrested while actively engaging in Illegal mining along the Supre River.
Mr Agyeman said similarly at Kotodwe, in Wamfie, Godfred Amoako, 24, and Adomah Jones, 30, were arrested when they were preparing to prospect for gold in a cocoa farm along the Apampramu river.
The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has once again berated the government for failing to take the needed steps to curb the menace of illegal small-scale mining, popularly known as galamsey.
According to the Asantehene, the government knows the politicians and government officials who are financing galamsey activities but has failed to arrest them, and it is rather arresting and prosecuting galamseyers, who are mere tools being used by these politicians.
He added that if the government does not start arresting persons who finance galamsey activities, it will never be able to stop the menace.
“We all know that the galamsey we are all talking about is being championed by some Ghanaians and these Chinese and other nationals they bring in. You are pretending as if you don’t know the people who are into it, but you know all of them.
“You are always arresting galamseyers at the sites, but who takes the gold away? Do the illegal miners on the field have the money to buy the excavators they are using; can they afford the chamfans? It is someone who has bought these equipments for them. The illegal miners are people who don’t have jobs and have been employed by these financers and are being paid daily. What have they done wrong?
“Government officials, politicians are all implicit in the galamsey menace. They have all bought these excavators and the chamfans… If we don’t arrest them, then we are deceiving ourselves with this fight against galamsey,” he said in Twi at the Manhyia Palace as he was receiving a document on galamsey from the Multimedia Group.
The Asantehene said that the very thing about galamsey is that it is destroying water sources for many people.
He added that if galamsey is not stopped, it will very soon contaminate the country’s cocoa which will have a devastating effect on Ghana’s economy because no country will accept Ghana’s cocoa exports.
Meanwhile, the pollution of water bodies by galamsey seems to be getting to the sea.
A viral video sighted by GhanaWeb showed how galamsey activities had heavily polluted parts of the Atlantic Ocean along the Central Region.
The narrator in the video indicated that the sea, which was looking brownish, was being polluted by galamsey water from the Pra River.
“I’m here at Awona beach, off the Cape Coast road towards Takoradi. You can see the ocean over here. See how brown it is. That is all from the River Pra. That is all muddy matters from galamsey actives.
“See all the way over there, the Pra River all the way, all this water is brown. All galamsey water,” he said.
A Ghanaian American-based preacher, Bishop Adonteng Boateng, has called on all stakeholders, including members of the clergy, to adopt a concerted approach in the fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
Reacting to a recent viral video where members of the clergy, during a fact-finding mission, were seen praying at the bank of a river polluted by galamsey, Bishop Adonteng Boateng called for pragmatic efforts instead of fasting and prayers in battling galamsey.
“Prayers cannot stop galamsey and no amount of fasting can stop galamsey. My prayer is that the leadership of the country will rather make a concerted effort to help the people because at the end it is only a few people who benefit from galamsey at the expense of the larger population,” he told Oman Channel in an interview monitored by GhanaWeb.
He emphasised that while the pastors may have had a clear motive in praying at the river bank, there is however the need for practicality to be used in curbing the galamsey menace.
“I don’t know the motive with which the pastors went to pray at the river bank. It was probably to bring attention to the effects of galamsey and so I wouldn’t want to criticise them. Most of them are my fathers whom I hold in high regard,” he stated.
Several of Ghana’s water and river bodies are currently under threat from the effects of illegal mining activities. This has led to various public calls on the government to take drastic measures in fighting the menace.
Meanwhile, the Christian Council has declared Monday, October 24, 2022, to Sunday, October 30, 2022, as ‘National Week of Fasting and Prayers Against Galamsey’.
In a release dated Monday, October 17, 2022, the council said “For many years now, our sovereign country Ghana has been witnessing under our very naked eyes, the saddest “environmental coup d’éta” ever unleashed upon our nation, heralding a programmed and complete “ecological disaster” or destruction.
“We are calling for a week of fasting and prayers to pray for change of heart and for God’s mercy upon our nation for the destruction we have caused the environment 2. We call for the IMMEDIATE BAN of all small-scale mining,” it added.
Unauthorized small-scale mining, also known as galamsey, has claimed the life of a young person in Ghana.
In a viral video, some miners were seen carrying a young man’s lifeless body from a galamsey pit in Enchi, a town in the Western Region’s Aowin-Suaman area.
The young man, who was probably in his mid-twenties, was seen being dragged out of the water in the pit by three men.
However, it is unclear whether he drowned or died from another cause.
As he was being dragged out of the pit, the mining equipment the miners were using could be heard working.
A man can also be heard in the video telling those handling the corpse to be cautious.
After he was drugged out, the men standing outside the pit took his body away.
Excavators have seven days to be registered by owners and users across the nation.
The decision is a part of government attempts to stop unlawful small-scale mining, and it was issued by Minister of Lands and Natural Resources Samuel Abu Jinapor (galamsey).
Excavator owners must register with the Metropolitan, Municipal or District Assembly (MMDA) in the area where the machine is in use.
In a statement issued by the Ministry, all operators, owners and users of excavators beginning today, Monday, 24 October 2022, to Wednesday, 2 November 2022, excluding statutory holidays and weekends, are to register their excavators.
All excavators not registered by the stipulated deadline, if found, shall be seized and the appropriate measures taken to confiscate them as state property.
“Notice is hereby given the general public, particularly owners operators and/or users as well as MMDAs to ensure strict compliance with these directives.”
The Ministry, further assured the general public that “it will continue to take the necessary measures to protect our natural environment, particularly, water bodies, forests and lands, in a transparent and sustainable manner, anchored on integrity.”
The mining industry is under examination, particularly in light of the massive increase of illicit mining operations, or “galamsey,” which are destroying and damaging the nation’s natural resources like waterways and forest reserves.
The industry may fail if this threat is not effectively controlled because the “galamseyers” are ruining waterways and forest reserves.
In an effort to clamp down on their activities, government has put up several interventions like speed-boats and guards to prohibit illegal miners from the areas.
“The mining industry’s sustainability in Ghana and making Ghana the mining hub of Africa does not lie in just training people, but building local capacity to respond to the mining needs of the entire continent,” he stressed.
Mr. Jinapor further called on the participants to develop capacities of local people in the sector in order to make the most of them.
“Backed by Legislative Instrument (L.I 2431), the localisation programme aims to develop Ghanaian human capital in the mining industry value chain through education, skills-transfer and expertise development.
“Additionally, the law seeks to bolster transfer of technology and know-how, and research and development programmes in the Ghanaian mining sector.
“Ghana’s move to embark on human capital development in the sector is underpinned by government’s quest to make Ghana a mining hub where all mining and other related activities in Africa will be centered – hence enactment of the L.I 2431, which aims to enhance human capital development in the sector to bring this long-term dream to fruition,” he added.
For his part, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for the GCM, Sulemanu Koney, noted that in their quest to develop human capital in the sector, the Chamber has given a research grant of about US$83,538 to six faculty members and five post-graduate students at the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) to conduct research in the mining industry; adding that this is the second tranche of support to the university, amounting to an about-GH₵1.3million grant for research.
According to him, the mining industry can be more productive and sustainable with the research, attraction and retention of the right talent and skills, and pledged to continue supporting academia through the Chamber’s Tertiary Education Fund (TEF) to develop the right talent and skills for the industry.
The Managing Director of AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi Mine, Dr. Eric Asubonteng, called for a paradigm shift in the mode of operations from the human resource perspective by strengthening the employer value chain, which he said can only be achieved with a radical rethink of the sector’s approach in attracting, retaining and nurturing talents.
The Accra High Court, presided by Justice Lydia Marfo, has asked the Attorney General to file its witness statement and serve the accusers in Aisha Huang’s case.
This comes after the Deputy Attorney General told the court he had prepared its witness statement and other relevant documents, which are being filed at the court registry.
Chinese national, Aisha Huang, is in court for her involvement in illegal mining activities (galamsey) in Ghana at the Accra High Court.
At today’s sitting, the Deputy Attorney General, Alfred Tuah Yeboah, asked for an adjournment as all their witness statements and documents were being filed at the court registry.
The judge then asked the attorney to ensure it is filed and the accusers are served to enable case management and pre-trial conference to occur.
The case was therefore adjourned to November 2, 2022.
Meanwhile, Deputy AG Alfred Tuah Yeboah, who spoke to the press after today’s sitting, said the delay was to ensure the right documents are presented.
“We have complied but it wasn’t within time. As we speak, it has been done. Prosecuting a case like what we have at the moment, you need to dot the “I’s” cross the T’s. At the next adjourned date we will definitely be ready to move on,“ he said.
President Akufo-Addo has said he will not throw in the towel despite the many challenges his government is facing in ending the activities of illegal miners in the country.
He showcased a determined spirit in the “galamsey” fight during his three-day tour of the Eastern Region which began on Friday, October 21, 2022.
”Many measures are being put in place. Community mining exercises are going on, and it is very important that we show determination. We will not relax. I am very determined. I am not going to accept defeat in this fight. I am determined to win the fight against galamsey,” the President said.
The menace has contributed to massive destruction of lands and water bodies in most mining areas across the country, with constant demand by the public for the government to act on the situation.
Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addohas charged his appointees and New Patriotic Party (NPP) members to embrace government’s tough measures in winning the fight against illegal mining.
This, he says, will help Ghanaians repose confidence in the party and vote for them in the next election, thereby making the NPP’s quest to break the eight a reality.
“Let us work together to get rid of this menace. I believe that if the people of Ghana see a determined effort on our part, which yields results, our water bodies are clearing, our lands are being reclaimed, and our forest zones are being preserved, it will help them enable us break the eight”, he stressed.
Currently, the Operation Halt II team led by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources is destroying all mining equipment found on water bodies and forest reserves.
Narrating events leading to his arrest, Captain Smart in a 3FM interview alleged that there were spies of the NIB on the premise of his media house who relayed information about his movements to the office.
The media house has released a CCTV footage of an alleged NIB informants whom it claim was feeding intelligence about Captain Smart and other staff of the station to the operatives who eventually arrested him.
A video making the waves on social media captures Alfred Ocansey, a staff of TV3 running commentary over a video in which he claims a woman made his way to their premise and carried out her informant activities.
Why Captain Smart was arrested
The Ministry of Information earlier this week accused the journalist of impugning the character of President Akufo-Addo.
The statement was on the back of a broadcast by Captain Smart on October 17, 2022, in which he accused the president of being actively involved in illegal mining also known as galamsey activities.
Describing the claims by Captain Smart as false and malicious, the ministry further accused the journalist of engaging in unethical and irresponsible journalism.
The government in the statement said it was referring the matter to the National Media Commission for review and adjudication.
Despite the statement by government in which a threat of legal action was issued, Captain Smart in a subsequent edition of his programme reiterated his allegations against the president.
According to him, the allegation was on the basis of some of the government’s actions and inactions relative to the fight against illegal mining.
“These are the reasons why Nana is a galamsey kingpin. Osafo Maafo is a Senior Advisor to the President but asked us to allow Aisha Huang to go because of $2 billion when she was arrested. Is the $2 billion more important than our lands?
“Secondly, Chairman Wontumi is doing galamsey but still at post. Meanwhile, Kwabena Agyapong, Sammy Crabbe and Paul Afoko were suspended for doing things against party. They didn’t do anything to the state but the party. But Wontumi is doing something that is against the country. Is the party more important than the country?
“Also, the Minerals Commission boss has said Wontumi had no license to enter the Tano Nimiri forest. But the only thing government was able to do was to ask some small boys to put some old equipment there for them to burn them to suggest they have taken any action. If you’re not a kingpin, sack Wontumi,” he said.
A convener of the #FixTheCountry movement, Oliver Mawuse Barker-Vormawor, believes President Akufo-Addo must be forced out of office with two clear years to the end of his mandate.
But Barker-Vormawor, who is facing trial over a treason felony charge related to a coup d’etat comment early this year, holds that a military takeover will not be needed to oust the president.
He believes that street protests and or impeachment were the available means that could be used to oust Akufo-Addo because in his opinion, Akufo-Addo is not worth the price of a coup, that is terminating the current democratic dispensation.
In an October 19, 2022 Facebook post reacting to the arrest of Onua FM/TV’s Captain Smart over defamation charges, the lawyer by training stated:
“Captain Smart arrested violently by National Security over broadcast pointing the finger at the President for his involvement in and indulgence of Galamsey. This short man is just begging to be overthrown at this point.”
He authored a follow-up post to clarify the initial one, it read: “Because this issue keeps coming up every now and then, I want to be as clear as possible. I have no desire for Akufo-Addo to be kicked out through a coup d’etat! That will be ending our makeshift democracy. He is not worth the price.
“But he doesn’t deserve to end his term too. So What I want is for him to either be forced to resign through street protests and agitations; or impeached by Parliament.
“These are things that affirm our democracy not destroy it. Democracy is important to me! And it will be a huge coup to force him out of office that way,” he added.
Barker-Vormawor is currently before the courts over a post claiming he will stage a coup if the Electronic Transaction Levy (E-Levy) was passed.
Meanwhile, Captain Smart has been released by the NIB, his employers confirmed early Thursday morning.
It is alleged that he was arrested for claiming that President Akufo-Addo was involved in galamsey – a statement the Ministry of Information has debunked.
He appeared on his Onua Maakye show to reiterate the said allegations for which he was arrested, questioned and granted bail.
Building local capacity in the mining industry in Ghana is the surest way to sustain the industry, Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, has stated.
“In building capacity, you must pay particular attention to building local capacity which is one of the most important policies of the government for the mining industry,” he told mining companies.
The Minister, who was addressing the fifth Annual Conference of the Ghana Chamber of Mines on Human Resource Management at Obuasi, underlined the need to build a human resource base with strong local content and local participation that responded to the future needs of the industry.
The conference, which was on the theme: “Transforming People Management for a Sustainable Mining Industry,” was to create a platform for the mining industry to celebrate achievements and highlight the challenges, which confront the industry, employers and labour.
The conference, which was jointly put together by the Chamber and AngloGold Ashanti, also provided opportunity for industry players to discuss how to achieve a more sustainable and strong human resource base to stimulate development and growth.
Mr Jinapor said the vision of the President was to make Ghana the mining hub of Africa, where mining and mining related activities, from exploration to downstream production, and from research to innovation would be centred.
“As Human Resource Professionals in the mining industry, you must familiarise yourself with the requirements of Legislative Instrument 2431, particularly the localisation programme for the recruitment and training of Ghanaians,” he said.
He said building the capacity of employees was not only for the benefit of the organisation but the country at large, adding that, a motivated and efficient workforce increased productivity and by extension improved the national economy.
Mr Sulemanu Koney, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Chamber, said effective people management was intrinsically linked to corporate performance and sustainability, hence the need for human resource practitioners to constantly update themselves on managing employees.
He said human resource was the central pillar of any organisation’s success, and that the Chamber was keen to see the attraction and retention of the best talent in the industry.
The industry, he noted, could be productive and sustainable with the confluence of research, attraction and retention of the right talents and skills.
“We will, therefore, continue to support academia through the Chamber’s Tertiary Education Fund to develop the right pipeline of talent and skills for our industry, and for Ghana as a whole,” he assured.
The CEO emphasised that Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles were taking centre stage globally in corporate performance considerations, saying, industry players, particularly, human resource professionals, could underestimate the critical role of social and governance issues in their respective organisations.
Mr Eric Asubonteng, Managing Director of AngloGold Ashanti, Obuasi Mine, who chaired the opening session of the conference, said the industry needed to be proactive in strengthening the employer value proposition from the human resource perspective.
This, he said, could be achieved with a radical approach to attracting, retaining and nurturing talents.
“Human resource practitioners must, therefore, intensify efforts to transform the industry through comprehensive people management practices and find innovative ways to boost the effectiveness and efficiency of our people,” he stated.
Churches in Ghana will wear red banners on Sunday, October 23, 2022, to register their displeasure over the devastating effects of illegal mining, known as galamsey.
The move, according to them, is part of their planned demonstration against the government and other authorities mandated to halt illegal mining but have failed to do so.
President of the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council, Rev. Prof. Paul Frimpong-Manso, speaking on Kumasi-based OTEC 102.9 FM’s breakfast show, “Nyansapo” on Thursday, October 20, 2022, said they would mobilize its members to embark on a massive protest to drum home their displeasure over the devastation caused by illegal mining.
“The government and authorities in charge of regulating these mining activities have consistently failed the country, and so the church is now ready to lead the fight.”
“We are leading the fight; the fight is in four phases. First, accepting our challenges and weaknesses, pledging that we won’t be part of it, telling the people that it is wrong [to engage in galamsey,” he told the programme’s host, Captain Koda.
Prof Frimpong Manso, however, disclosed that the churches would soon come out with a specific date to stage the biggest-ever demonstration against illegal mining across the country.
“On Sunday, all our churches will hoist red flags; the members will put red banners on their hands, heads, and any part of their bodies to show how unhappy the church is over the menace of galamsey.”
The Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, has explained why he responded to a social media post by GHOne TV about a regional minister fainting after a driver stole his GH¢17 million even though his name was not mentioned in the post.
The post by GHOne TV reported that a regional minister collapsed after his driver bolted away with the stated amount, said to be proceeds from illegal mining (galamsey).
“A Regional Minister collapses as his driver bolts with 17 million cedis galamsey proceeds. Driver is reported to be in Ivory Coast at the moment,” parts of the post by GHOne read.
Responding to this post, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah denied any link to the report.
In a press statement, he said that the news linking him to the report is bent on tarnishing his hard-won reputation.
“This news alert appears to cast an innuendo on my person. It is therefore not strange that for those who are still bent on tarnishing my hard-won reputation and to distract me from executing my official duties in service to the people of my region including my unrelenting fight against illegal mining in the region, they have jumped onto this news alert to further their sinister objectives,” parts of the statement noted.
Speaking in an interview on Asempa FM on October 19, 2022, which was monitored by GhanaWeb, Okyere Darko-Mensah said that he had to respond because he had issues with some parts of the post.
He added that he had spoken to the Chief Executive Officer of the EIB Network, Nathan Kwabena Anokye Adisi, a.k.a. Bola Ray, to get the matter resolved.
“You see, when people are not sure of things, they should not disgrace people or create funny impressions in the minds of people. Because somebody may not even verify the facts and accept the allegations that are being made, which will create problems for you.
“That is why we had to tackle it so that next time people will think twice before making allegations.
“If you look at the second part of the post, there is something in it that we dealing with. After the post was shown to me, I contacted Bola Ray and he said he will cross-check the facts and get to me. And so, we are waiting,” he said in Twi.
He stated that preserving the nation’s plentiful resources for current and future generations through the sanitization of small-scale mining can sustainably contribute to the nation’s socioeconomic growth.
The Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, George Mireku Duker, hinted that the government would soon launch the “situational room” to remotely monitor and manage on-the-ground operations across the country as part of efforts to reduce “galamsey” activities and increase revenue in the small-scale mining industry.
Through this arrangement, he said, the activities of miners and their equipment will be tracked and digitally relayed to the Minerals Commission office. This will complement the deployment of river guards to permanently patrol river-bodies such as the Offin, Ankobra and Pra.
“We therefore believe that increasing private sector participation in the form of direct investment, exploration, financing, research and technology transfer will help to make this a reality,” he added.
Dr. Darko-Mensah was speaking at the 10th ALUMaT Lecture, which coincides with the 70th Anniversary Lecture of the University of Mines and Technology in the Western Region.
It was on the theme ‘Practical Insights into Growth of the Mining Industry in Ghana: Perspectives of a UMaT-Trained Female Engineer’.
He was happy to state that the mining industry has been exposed positively as a formidable sector for long-term economic growth at the 2020 Ghana Gold Expo and the 2021 and 2022 Mining Week, especially with a tougher regulatory framework and rising formalisation.
“As I speak, the Bank of Ghana has started its responsible sourcing programme under its local Gold Buying programme, which will help enhance formalisation of the small-scale sector. Also, Gold Coast Refinery became the first refinery in West Africa to obtain a Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) Certificate,” he said.
He noted it is more appropriate for the region that mines and produces gold, among others, to act as the focal point for ethical mining and mining-related activities.
Dr. Darko-Mensah therefore called on Small-scale Miners Associations to take up the responsibility of reclaiming degraded lands by replanting to save the businesses and five million jobs in the sector. After all, we will not allow the mining business to collapse.
Again, he called for the transfer of Reclamation bonds from the Minerals Commission in Accra to District Assemblies through the now activated District Mining Committees to support reclamation efforts of small-scale mining participants.
He said the complete decentralisation of mining licencing and an in-situ mobile licencing regime to help legalise and control more mining activities – especially those that do not fall within the red zones of water-bodies and forest reserves – should be looked at critically.
Radio and TV presenter Blessed Godsbrain Smart, popularly known as Captain Smart, has been released on bail hours after he was picked up by the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB).
The Media General journalist was picked up by operatives of the NIB on the evening of Wednesday, 19 October 2022 as he went home from work.
His car was allegedly crossed by the operatives in traffic and then whisked away.
The journalist was subsequently interrogated in the presence of some senior officials of Media General.
It is unclear why he has been detained by the intelligence agency.
On Tuesday, 18 October 2022, the government, through a statement from the ministry of information, threatened to sue the journalist for alleging in a video published and circulated by Onua TV on 17 October 2022 that President Akufo-Addo was actively involved in illegal mining activities.
The publication, according to the statement signed by Deputy Information Minister Fatimatu Abubakar, impugns the character and integrity of the president, as well as the credibility and commitment of his fight against illegal and irresponsible mining.
In response to the content of the said video, the government stated that:
ii. The content propagated in the video is false, malicious and without basis. It is nothing but an act of unethical and irresponsible journalism;
iii. The video is intended to court disaffection for the government and undermine efforts to fight illegal mining in the country; and
iv. Government’s commitment to the fight against illegal mining is unwavering.
The statement disclosed that the government had decided to refer the matter to the National Media Commission for review and adjudication.
“It is, however, imperative to note that the aforementioned action is without prejudice to the government’s right to seek further legal action against Mr Smart, Onua TV and Media General,” the statement added.
The government further noted that it is “concerned about the spread of disinformation and misinformation, clothed under the pretext of journalistic discretion and free expression and will continue to hold Media General in high esteem and urge them not to compromise their standards for validating information, ethical practice, and avoiding conjecture in the presentation of Radio and TV presenter Blessed Godsbrain Smart, popularly known as Captain Smart, has been released on bail hours after he was picked up by the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB).
The President of Ghana, President Akufo-Addo, is currently in the Ashanti Region as part of a tour of the region.
According to communication that was made public ahead of his four-day tour that started on Sunday, October 16, 2022, the president is expected to commission projects, inspect ongoing ones, and confer with traditional leaders of the area.
On Sunday, 16th October, President Akufo-Addo visited the Manhyia Palace to interact with the Asantehene and Asantehemaa.
As part of his itinerary, the president was also supposed to honour a number of radio appointments in the region.
Having already done three days of his tour, there have been a number of concerns raised by some Ghanaians over how the president’s activities in the region have gone so far.
Among those are a number of utterances the president has made in either his addresses at some of his scheduled engagements, and then others he made during his radio interviews.
In an earlier interview, the president also courted the disaffection of Ghanaians over some statements he made.
Below are some of the things Ghanaians wished President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo should not have said, or, could have said better:
I am not afraid to be voted against
During an interview on OTEC Fm in Kumasi, President Akufo-Addo made a comment that got many people literally in stitches.
In the interview, the president stated that he is not moved by threats of electoral consequences by some supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
He explained that he knows that people will vote for their preferred candidates in an election and that voters can also not be forced to make choices in a democratic dispensation, hence there was no need to threaten a government with votes.
The president was responding to concerns raised by people in Manso and Kwabre, who had threatened to vote out the NPP in 2024 if their roads are not fixed.
Their concerns were conveyed by the journalist who conducted the interview on OTEC FM.
“The people of Kwabre and Manso, we know they voted massively for Nana, they have asked me to inform the president that if their roads are not fixed, they will be pained and in 2024, they will vote against the NPP,” the journalist asked after the Minister of Roads and Highways, Kwasi Amoako-Attah, had responded to a question.
“No problem, no problem. I am saying people make those kinds of threats, me, they don’t frighten me. Somebody votes for you, somebody supports you, it is because they want you to do things for them, so I understand that,” the president quickly weighed in with a response.
I will shame you all
Still in the Ashanti Region for his tour, the president took an opportunity while making an address to send a statement to persons he believes are his political detractors in the region.
According to him, these people will be shamed one by one by the numerous work he has done for the people of the region, which is considered the ‘political world bank’ of the governing party; the NPP.
President Akufo-Addo stated that for the past six years that he has been in office, the people of the Ashanti Region have benefitted enough from his government, therefore, his detractors cannot say otherwise.
“And to those of you going around saying bad things about me in the Ashanti Region, one after the other, they are all going to be shamed convincingly, today, tomorrow and the day after.
“In spite of our present difficulties which I know will be gone as soon as possible, I continue to be excited about the future prospects of the nation and I urge all Ghanaians to join hands in building the Ghana that we want, we can realize it if we all work at it,” he said.
The president was speaking during a sod-cutting ceremony for the Suame Interchange, on October 18, 2022.
You can vote for NDC
While still speaking in his interview on OTEC Fm in Kumasi, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo made another comment about how unfazed he is about his party losing the next general elections.
He explained that while there are threats to vote against them, he is unmoved, adding that intimidations of voting against the NPP due to unfulfilled promises or lack of development under his tenure, is a personal decision he cannot be bothered about.
“People make those kinds of threats; they don’t frighten me. Somebody votes for you, and somebody supports you. It’s because they want you to do certain things for them. I understand that. But there is no need for people to say that if I am unable to do this and that… those are their own issues to deal with. Of course, I will do it (the road).
“But if it comes to the election and you choose to vote for the NDC, that is your own issue that is not my worry because nobody holds your thumb to vote; it is your own work. The important thing is that I understand my responsibility, and we will deal with it,” the president said.
I’m not so sure if Aisha Huang was deported
In September, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo granted an interview to Stone City Radio in Ho during his tour of the Volta Region.
During the interactions, he made a statement about the case of the embattled Chinese galamsey ‘kingpin,’ Aisha Huang (En Huang).
The statement came under a lot of public scrutiny because it was determined to have contradicted what some of his appointees had said on the same subject, to the effect that Aisha Huang had actually been deported from Ghana in 2018.
But speaking in that interview, President Akufo-Addo said it is likely that the ‘galamsey’ queen may not have been deported, but rather fled the country in 2018.
“… I am not still sure whether she was, in fact, deported or whether she fled the country the first time and has now come back or whatever. There still seems to be some uncertainty about it.
“Whichever way it is, she has become a sort of nickname for all that the ‘galamsey’ represents and also, unfortunately, for the involvement of Chinese nationals in this illicit trade,” he said.
Reports gathered by GBC News suggest that at least, 20 gold miners have been trapped in one of the pits of Anglogold Ashanti at Obuasi in the Ashanti region.
Our Ashanti Regional Correspondent, Nicholas Osei-Wusu, reports that the people were allegedly trapped in the pit some five days ago.
Confirming the information, the Assembly Member for the Ahansony3wodea Electoral Area, Vincent Donkor, told GBC News that he was informed by some relatives at about 3 am on Tuesday, October 18, 2022, that their loved ones had gone missing for five days after leaving their respective homes in search of gold.
Mr. Donkor said he followed it up with the Security Office of Anglogold Ashanti who in turn asked that the matter be formally reported at the Local Police Station for action.
Supreme Court Justice nominee Barbara Frances Ackah-Yensu has shocked some members of the appointments committee including the chairman Joseph Osei-Owusu with her advocacy for applying Alternative Dispute Resolution, (ADR) in environmental crimes including galamsey.
She opined that the current ADR laws must be amended to that effect.
“Speaking as a Judicial officer, we will determine if any case comes before us on the harmful nature of galamsey, we’ll look at the particular circumstances of each case and apply the law and make a determination. But as a propenent of ADR, I think that a section of environmental matters in the ADR Act, probably will have to be looked at again so that we can try applying ADR mechanisms in resolving galamsey.”
The Supreme Court nominee made the suggestion when answering questions from minority leader Haruna Iddrisu on the galamsey menace during her vetting Tuesday.
When asked the role ADR will play specifically in dealing with galamsey cases, the nominee said:”ADR will come between the communities and the perpetrators if they are made to sit together and have a conversation.”
Her answer drew in chairman of the committee Joseph Osei-Owusu who questioned whether the nominee has ever been to a galamsey site before to appreciate the level of devastation, but the Justice nominee answered, No!
On the dwindling confidence in the judiciary by the public, Barbara Frances Ackah-Yensu though conceded some level of confidence has been lost argued majority of the public still has trust in the judicial system thus the increasing number of cases judges have had to deal with every day.
Some residents in the Eastern Region town of Apinamang are intimidated and frustrated as they are being forced out of their homes by illegal miners.
Activities of illegal mining popularly called ‘galamsey’ is beginning to wreak havoc and is threatening the livelihoods of residents.
In the case of Joyce Wowornyo, the ‘galamseyers’ have dug around her house in a bid to take over her land in search of gold.
She lives far in the Apinamang forest and has witnessed the terrible effects of illegal mining firsthand.
The miners offered to buy her out of her land.
“One day, the miners came and asked me to pack out. I refused. So they excavated the land around us. They made a circle round my house. Now my farm land has been destroyed. I put all my energy into it,” Joyce lamented.
The 43-year-old mother of five recounted that her experience with the illegal miners was scary.
“Many times they threatened me. They even told me they had already bought the land from someone. I still didn’t move. Sometimes, I would be cooking in my kitchen and they would digging just in front of me.”
The illegal miners leave the mining pits uncovered
Joyce Wowornyo says she is being threatened by the illegal miners because she refused to sell her land to them.
Touring some illegal mining sites in the area with the Christian Council, JoyNews discovered that Joyce Wowornyo is not alone in the Apinamang forest.
A galamsey site in the Apinamang forest
Many small households are seen abandoned with the lands excavated.
The chief of the area, Osabarima Bibiarawonemere Oware Asare Pinkro III, noted that activities of illegal mining is getting out of hand.
“I am helpless. If you go to check the extent of damage caused by these illegal miners and how they have left the pits uncovered, you will be sad. I will not, and cannot be part of the galamsey activities.
Osabarima Bibiarawonemere Oware Asare Pinkro III
“The streams and all the water bodies have been polluted,” he bemoaned.
Members of the Christian Council of Ghana also visited the area to assess the level of devastation caused by illegal mining as they prepare to take a stand against activities of galamsey.
Houses left abandoned in the Apinamang forest
Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo has given yet another verbal assurance his government will stop the illegal mining menace.
He was speaking at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi at the start of a four-day tour of the Ashanti region.
A Deputy National Communications Director of the ruling NPP,George Krobea Asante, has admonished the opposition NDC for claiming superiority in the management of the economy.
Speaking on Peace 104.3 FM’s evening show, the Platform with Nana Yaw Kesse as the host, George Krobea Asante pointed out that “today, even in the UK, the Pounds Sterling is struggling against the US Dollar”. He further stated that “in the midst of the economic difficulties being experienced by Ghanaians, we have a stable power.”
He said that under the NDC, apart from the challenging economic situation, erratic power generation became the order of the day.
“Even in the midst of crisis, the worst form of NPP’s government is better than NDC’s best government,” he stressed.
He also touched on the fight against illegal mining activities emphasizing that while there is a national discourse on the matter, the NDC is rather thinking about the next elections whether by foul or fair means.
He pointed out to the opposition party that the fight against galamsey is a very serious national issue that must be given attention by all political parties, but the NDC, which is only concerned about winning power, is looking the other way.
All the NDC excels in, Mr. George Krobea Asante said, is the engagement of propagandaby members of the opposition party. He called on all well-meaning Ghanaians to make the fight against galamsey a topmost priority.
A new video has emerged of a farmer standing in water at the level of his chest, on his farmland, as he bitterly complains about the devastating effects of galamsey in the country.
The man, who explained that he campaigned passionately for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to win political power, expressed his disappointment at how badly the situation of small-scale illegal mining has been.
He also painted a picture of how much damage the activities of galamsey have caused to their livelihoods, as well as their farms.
“In the era of the NPP, things have deteriorated so badly. Look at the cocoa trees I have planted for close to 13 years. To think that we worked for the NPP to come to power to make things better, then we should have just allowed the NDC to stay. Look at what galamsey has done to my cocoa farm..
“Since we came to meet our forefathers on these lands, even when it floods, it does not come here… look at all these cocoa trees on about 10 acres of land that has been destroyed by water. Why? If this was what it was, then we should not have even gone into this type of farming,” he lamented.
The man continued that there was even a time when they were unable to even salvage any of their harvested cocoa beans because the flood waters had washed through their lands.
He further regretted giving all of his energy and time to working for the NPP to come into office, with the hope that their coming would help make his life better.
“We even had cocoa bags numbering about ten bags here but they have all been washed away, and the little that was left behind, we came by only to see that it had also been washed away. Is this how we will continue to live on this land?
“We all thought that we were helping the NPP to come to power so that our lives would be comfortable, but if we knew this is how it would come about, then what was the benefit? Since they came into power, galamsey activities have go on and on such that immediately there is small rain, then it rushes through our cocoa farms. The damage is all over this area,” he said.
It is, however, unclear which part of the country the man was speaking from, but there is no doubting the extent of the damage that the activities of people engaged in the illegal trade in small-scale mining (galamsey) have caused to the environment in recent years.
Galamsey, as it is widely known, has become a matter of great concern for many, with traditional rulers, politicians, social groups, and nearly every Ghanaian making it a point to contribute to discussions or calls for the menace to be stopped.
The infiltration of foreigners, especially Chinese nationals, into the illegal trade, with the use of their heavy equipment, has further escalated the destruction of the mining activities in the environment.
Religious leaders in the country want Government to ban all illegal small-scale mining popularly known as ‘galamsey’ until a comprehensive responsible mining strategy is instituted.
They said small-scale mining both legal and illegal had destroyed the biodiversity-plants, animal species and water bodies, which needed urgent restoration.
Most Reverend Philip Naameh, Archbishop of Tamale, briefing the media on Monday on observations after a field trip to some ‘galamsey’ sites, described ‘galamsey’ as an environmental “coup d’état” ever unleashed upon the country.
“We have visited a number of affected communities and have seen the level of devastation that the practice has caused our natural resources,” he said and asked government to swiftly arrest and prosecute all those involved without fear or favour.
“Those who desire to be rich at the expense of the future of our country should face the full rigors of the law,” he stressed.
Leaders of some religious groups last week made a field trip to some ‘galamsey’ sites in the Eastern region.
The tour was to enable them to assess the level of devastation caused by ‘galamsey’ activities in the communities to inform decision.
President Akufo-Addo has reiterated his commitment to end illegal mining popularly called galamsey in the country.
He disclosed that no government in the history of Ghana has embarked on a more rigorous galamsey fight than his government.
He made this known at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi at the start of a four-day tour of the Ashanti region.
He said the galamsey menace that has been generated in recent times explains the importance Ghanaians attach to the issue.
According to him, “We are here to eradicate galamsey and surely, it would be eradicated…No government has shown that resilience in the fight against galamsey.”
“One issue that has generated negative public criticism is galamsey. Though it attracted less public discussion before my tenure, it is the talk of the town, even among traditional leaders.
“This means the issue is common and calls for all hands on deck to bring it to an end, he stated.
Earlier, the President said he was being truthful in his commitment when he proclaimed in 2017 to end galamsey.
He disclosed that his fight against the menace five years ago cost him and the NPP “significant losses in the mining communities” during the election 2020.
Galamsey is heavily criticized in Ghana due to its detrimental environmental effects which many believe outweigh any possible economic and cultural justifications.
The practice of galamsey activities contributes tremendously to the local economy of the communities within which the practice is conducted.
The number of galamseyers in Ghana is unknown but believed to be from 20,000 to 50,000, including thousands from China.
The major cause of galamsey is unemployment among the youth in Ghana.
The Christian Ecumenical Bodies of Ghana have denied reports that the clergy visited galamsey sites in the Eastern Region last Friday to pray against the illegal menace.
Speaking on The Asaase Breakfast Show on Monday (17 October 2022), the president of the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC) Rev Prof Paul Frimpong Manso, said they went to the sites solely on a fact-finding mission.
The clergy came under severe backlash on social media over a viral video of them praying and singing praises at the sites for the illegal activities to cease.
Reacting to the claims, Rev Prof Manso described such conclusion as irresponsible.
“Some of your colleagues are irresponsible, destructive and they are a disaster to the profession,” he told the host Kwaku Nhyira-Addo. “I have been very angry this weekend to read that the pastors went there to pray.”
“These are the people who are nation wreckers. We can pray in our rooms and our churches and will not mobilise journalists to galamsey sites to go and pray. We are not children… The Bible says ‘you cannot talk about what you have never seen and heard’. We’ve seen a lot of things trending on social media and others. As a church we have fought individually and it’s not working, so we said we want to come as a collective body to ascertain the facts,” Rev Prof Manso said.
Purpose of visit
He said as religious leaders, it was incumbent on them to begin every activity with a prayer, so they decided to commit the day’s activity into the hands of God when they got to the site.
“The purpose was not to go and pray. We mobilised ourselves to the site and when we went there the first thing we did was to pray then followed by other things. But irresponsible journalists and irresponsible politicians who have lost their moral conscience come and be saying ‘this is not what to do’.
“We prayed before we did everything and that is the logic. We went there to ascertain the facts ahead of our press conference [today]. We went there to convey the right message to Ghanaians. And the message is that galamsey is a disaster,” he added.
Among the clergy who visited the sites were the immediate past chairman of the Christian Council of Ghana, Bishop Dr Paul Boafo, and the chairman of the Church of Pentecost, Ghana Apostle Eric Nyamekye.
Although Ghana requires permits to mine on a small scale, it is estimated that about 70% of small-scale miners are unregistered and operate illegally. They are known locally as galamsey, meaning to “gather and sell”.
While illegal mining supports livelihoods, it has caused severe damage to the environment. It is blamed for destruction of farmlands and pollution of water bodies. It also denies the state revenue: an estimated US$2.3 billion in 2016, reports The Conversation.
He mentioned that of late, there had been so much talk about the illegal mining activities, popularly called “galamsey” and that “means that serious work to end the menace was ongoing.”
The President had paid a courtesy call on the Asantehene at the Manhyia Palace, yesterday, as part of a four-day working tour in some parts of the Ashanti Region.
Addo (right) exchanging greetings with Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II
Prior to the interaction, the President and his entourage had worshiped at the St Cyprian’s Diocese at Fanti Newtown, where a visiting Bishop of Warrington, Liverpool in the United Kingdom, Bishop Beverly A. Mason, preached the sermon and offered a special prayer for him.
Many people, the President noted, had been saying my government had done nothing in the Ashanti Region, “but after the four-day tour, they would see what have been done.”
As part of the tour, which begun yesterday, the President would inaugurate some projects such as the residential accommodation for the Court of Appeal judges at Danyame.
The sod cutting for the commencement of work on the complex which would be permanent residential facilities for Court of Appeal judges, was performed by the President with the support of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and Chief Justice Anin Yeboah, on April 20, this year.
With the collaboration of the Ministry of Local Government and the District Assembly Common Fund, 20 townhouses and a guesthouse have been built to be used as permanent residences for Court of Appeal Judges, who would be mandated to handle cases in the northern part of the country.
He would also commission the ECG KATH 33/11kv primary substation constructed under the EDSTREP project, at Subin, in Kumasi.
There would be a durbar of chiefs and people of Toase for the inauguration of the Town’s Magistrate Court.
The President would have a crunch meeting with MMDCEs, Regional Executives and Constituency chairmen only, perhaps to reiterate his stance to stop illegal mining(galamsey) and to punish culprits in the party.
Other programmes outlined included the inauguration of maize processing factory at NsutaKwaman under the 1D1F and also inspect agenda 111 project at Beposo.
Inspection of Anwia-Nkwanta-Obuasi, Santasi-Apire roads would also be undertaken.
President Akufo-Addo has suspended Mr Yaw Danso, District Chief Executive (DCE) of Bosome Freho, over his alleged involvement in illegal mining “galamsey” in the district.
This comes after the leaking of a video in which he was allegedly encouraging “galamsey” activities in the area.
A polluted river
The suspension is contained in a letter from Mr Dan Botwe, Minister for Local Government and Regional Organisation, which asked the DCE to step aside for investigations into the audio.
The minister stressed in the letter that the suspension was to pave way for investigations to verify the authenticity of the tape.
President Akufo-Addo, in his resolve to address the illegal mining menace, has called on all stakeholders, including government officials, chiefs and community members, to join in the fight.
The President, at a recent meeting with traditional leaders and metropolitan, municipal, district chief executives, among other government officials, warned that persons caught in the act would face full rigours of the law.
Four Christian groups in the country want galamsey to be a thing of the past. In view of this they have stressed the need for effective collaboration among stakeholders to fight the illegal mining menace popularly known as ‘galamsey.’
They said standing united to fight the canker was the surest way the nation would win the battle and restore the degraded environment to its original condition.
They made the call after touring some ‘galamsey’ sites at Apinamang, in the Eastern Region.
The groups included the Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC), Ghana Catholic Bishop Conference and the Independent Charismatic Churches Council.
The delegation was led by Bishop Dr Paul Boafo, the Immediate Past Chairman of the Christian Council; Rev Professor Paul Frimpong-Manso, President, GPCC; Apostle Eric Nyamekye, Chairman of the Pentecost Church; Rev Cyril Fayose, General Secretary; Christian Council; Rev. Father Dieu-Donne Kofi Davor, Director of Communications, Ghana Catholic Bishop Conference, among others.
The tour was to enable them to assess the level of devastation caused by ‘galamsey’ activities in the area to inform their decision.
Speaking to journalists, Bishop Boafo, said as religious leaders, they were appalled by the level of destruction that activities of ‘galamsey’ had caused.
He, therefore, called for a more emphatic approach to be adopted and for all stakeholders involved to enable the country to win the battle.
“This is the approach we all have to go. This is the way we all have to approach this canker. it’s like COVID, so all should come on board. Let us all come on board, ministers, market women, traditional rulers, school children, the youth, the old and everybody,” Bishop Boafo urged.
Going forward, Bishop Boafo said the Church would do its best to educate Ghanaians on the negative impact such activity had on the environment.
“We will let them know that this is not the right way to go for wealth if indeed they are the people doing it. Yeah, for me, I believe that they would know better because we are the people who are to cater for creation.
“In Genesis, God said, tend it, care for it, and in caring this is not the way to care for it. And I will say that this is not the right way to go for wealth and then to bring it to church,” he said.
Bishop Boafo also called on the leadership to come up with policies that would address unemployment to help curb the menace.
Apostle Nyamekye, Chairman of the Pentecost Church, said strong leadership was required if the country was to make any significant progress in the fight against ‘galamsey.’
He said the reason successive governments had failed to end the menace was due to a lack of political will and weak leadership.
“God created human beings and he gave us leaders. Where there is no leadership, there will be no control. The human being has to be controlled. That is why we need leaders,” Apostle Nyamekye said.
He added that “If leaders are not doing what they are supposed to do, then people would take the law into their own hands, you see all this corruption everywhere. So for me, I’m calling on our leaders to lead. Leaders must lead. Human beings have to be controlled, somebody will have to control these young men in their galamsey industry, somebody would have to educate them and they will stop, but where there is no leadership then things go wayward.”
Rev Frimpong-Manso, President of the GPCC, who described the situation as a “total disaster,” challenged Ghanaians not to fail the future generation.
“I am really overwhelmed and I need to weep, Ghanaians, we have only one Ghana. If all the systems will fail, I’m challenging anyone who is hearing me not to fail posterity because we are in a total disaster,” he said.
Rev. Father Davor, Director of Communications, Ghana Catholic Bishop Conference, said drastic measures must be taken to end the canker, saying: “We cannot go on this way.”
Osaberima Pinkro Oware Asare III, Apinamang Hene, called for assistance to fight the ‘galamsey’ menace in his community, saying “I am helpless.”
President Akufo-Addo is optimistic that the country’s fight against illegal small scale mining will yield the expected results.
The national campaign to halt illegal small-scale mining (galamsey) is unprecedented as most well-meaning Ghanaians have thrown weight behind the initiative, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo said on Sunday.
“Everybody is talking about it and that connotes the magnitude of the problem. The Government’s agenda is to involve all identifiable groups in dealing with the issue head-on,” he said.
President Akufo-Addo, who paid a courtesy call on the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi, rallied the citizenry to give their all to make the anti-galamsey crusade successful.
The President is on a five-day working visit to the Ashanti Region to inspect and inaugurate development projects.
Projects billed for inspection include the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital Maternal and Children’s Block, Kejetia/Central Market Phase Two, Obuasi Trauma and Accident Hospital, and Boankra Inland Port projects.
The rest are the Anwiankwanta-Obuasi and Santasi-Apire Road, Oforikrom, Nsuta and Trede Agenda 111 projects, as well as a sod-cutting ceremony for work to begin on the Suame Interchange.
President Akufo-Addo is also expected to inaugurate the Toase Magistrate’s Court, residential accommodation for the Appeals Court judges, the ECG KATH 33/11 kV Primary sub-Station, and Nsuta Maize Processing Factory, which had been completed under the ‘One District, One Factory programme.
On infrastructural projects executed in the region over the last six years, the President cited the construction and rehabilitation of about 400 kilometres of asphalted roads, as well as over 30 hospital projects meant to make life comfortable for the people.
The President said the Government had worked assiduously to impact positively on the living conditions of the people and was determined to improve upon it.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, welcomed the President to the region and lauded him for regular visiting to inspect ongoing development projects.
That, he said, was necessary to ensure the successful completion of those projects.
President Akufo-Addo will on Sunday, October 16, commence a five-day working visit to the Ashanti Region to inspect development projects in the area.
These projects cover a wide spectrum of government’s initiatives meant to improve the living conditions of the people.
The President’s itinerary, copied to the Ghana News Agency by the Regional Coordinating Council on Saturday, said the projects included the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital Maternal and Children’s Block, Kejetia/Central Market Phase Two, Obuasi Trauma and Accident Hospital, and Boankra Inland Port Project.
The rest are the Anwiankwanta-Obuasi and Santasi-Apire Road Projects, Oforikrom, Nsuta and Trede Agenda 111 Projects, as well as a sod-cutting ceremony for work to begin on the Suame Interchange.
While in the Region, President Akufo-Addo will also inaugurate some completed projects such as the Toase Magistrate’s Court, residential accommodation for the Appeals Court judges, the ECG KATH 33/11 kv Primary sub-Station, and Nsuta Maize Processing Factory under the ‘One District, One Factory’ programme.
He will interact with traditional authorities, including the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, as well as the leadership and activists of the New Patriotic Party.
Chief of Akwamu Adumasa, Nana Ansah Kwao IV, has attributed the unending illegal mining—’galamsey’—activity to the continuous growth in the population size of the country.
According to him, it was driving unemployment rate in the country high with the desire for survival fueling the situation.
He said this while contributing to discussions on the ‘galamsey’ menace on an Accra-based radio station monitored by the Ghana News Agency, on Saturday.
“The fundamental issue of all the menace confronting to this issue is the speed with which the population is growing, but some how as a country, it is a taboo subject for us. If you look at our economy and the number of new babies we put in a year, there is absolutely no way we can give them good roads, sanitation, education before December; before we put in another 900,000 new babies for, which a great percentage is coming from the lower end of the spectrum where the financial muscle is not too strong,” he noted.
Nana Kwao IV, therefore, called for drastic measures to be put in place and family planning encouraged to check the rapid growth of the population.
“What we the traditional rulers are refusing to understand is that the principles have not changed, but the times have changed and so the reasons for, which our forefathers did certain things, the thing is still valid but maybe the reason you can change it, the purpose you cannot change it. And so that’s why we have arrived here, greed and survival,” he stated.
Dr Henry Kokofu, Executive Director, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), noted that inadequate staff was hampering the Agency’s efforts to regularly monitor activities of mining companies to ensure that they adhered to the law.
He, however, revealed that the Agency was in the process of procuring some 45 vehicles to help in monitoring activities of mining companies, especially ‘galamsey’ in the country.
He said that would enable the Agency to identify and arrest mining companies and persons who flouted the mining laws of the country by engaging in illegal activities.
“The first time in the history of EPA, we are procuring 45 vehicles, of which 25 are robust mining Land Cruisers size that the large scale miners use and it’s being equipped with all the necessary accouterments, including GPS, siren and all that we need to work with… So, we will be able to march up boot for boot with illegal operators,” he said.
The EPA Boss noted that the Agency had taken numerous actions, including sanctioning and revoking the mining licences of companies and individuals who perpetuated illegalities, in an effort to curb the galamsey menace.
He said the EPA was currently working with the Minerals Commission to activate the reclamation bond to ensure that all mined lands were returned to their original states.
Regulation 23 of the Environmental Assessment Regulations, 1999 (L.I 1652) mandates the EPA to ensure that prospective small-scale miners post reclamation bonds in the form of cash into an escrow account based on approved reclamation plans before they are issued permits to mine.
Mr Francis Kwasi Bonzoh, the District Chief Executive for Elembelle District, rejected calls by a section of the public for Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives to be sacked for failing to deal with the ‘galamasey’ menace.
He described that as “quiet simplicity,” explaining that, actors of ‘galamsey’ business were powerful and highly connected, making the fight against the canker very difficult.
Dr Tony Aubynn, President, Africa Institute of Extractive Industries, urged the Minerals Commission to monitor concessions given out to mining firms to ensure the right thing was done.
Dr Clement Apaak, MP, Builsa South, has stated that the clergy going to the galamsey sites to pray and sing patriotic songs won’t save the environment.
According to him, the clergy must call out the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for refusing to use the power of the state to arrest and prosecute those funding the destruction of the environment.
The Deputy Ranking Member of the Education Committee and a Member of the Public Accounts Committee is of the view that the President as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces can use all the power at his disposal to arrest and prosecute those funding and profiting from galamsey activities but because he knows such individuals, he is being adamant.
“Patriotic songs and praying, good, but alone will not save our environment. Call out NADAA for refusing to use the power of the state, as Commander-In-Chief, to arrest and prosecute those funding and profiting from the destruction of our environment, government knows them,” Dr Clement Apaak tweeted.
The NDC MP’s sentiment comes after some selected members of the clergy stepped up their support for the government’s fight against galamsey.
Dozens of these Christian leaders took a tour of some galamsey sites in the Eastern region to assess the level of damage and to pray for divine intervention on the issue.
The area was heavily forested and they were accompanied by some security officials. Some of the shots show what appears to be abandoned excavators and other mining machinery.
In a video shared by Accra-based UTV, titled: “Christian Ecumenical Bodies in Ghana tour some ‘galamsey’ sites in Eastern Region,” the leaders are seen at the site singing patriotic songs, including the infamous ‘Yen Ara Asaase Ni’ and other patriotic songs.
They are later seen offering prayers.
“We pray that our people will humble themselves and change from our wicked ways… heal our land and save us, heal our nation,” the pastor leading the prayer is heard saying.
A section of the visiting clergy offering prayers
Patriotic songs and praying, good, but alone will not save our environment. Call out NADAA for refusing to use the power of the state, as Commander-In-Chief, to arrest and prosecute those funding and profiting from the destruction of our environment, gov’t knows them. pic.twitter.com/Sg988CPQIn
Residents along the coast of Shama in the Western Region have expressed worry over the unending murky nature of the coastlines stretching several kilometres due to illegal mining activities (galamsey).
Debris from the heavily polluted Pra Riveras a result of illegal mining activities, aside from changing the colours of hitherto a good-looking blue sea, are deposited on the shore, making it highly unattractive to tourists and even members of the communities.
Unsuccessful clampdown
The Shama District, which is endowed with a beautiful coastline, an estuary and long Ramsar site toward the estuary, and creates a perfect ambiance for all manner of birds and breeding ground for fish species, is now muddy and not fit for purpose.
As the illegal mining activities intensify again after unsuccessful clampdown, the source of the Pra River ends in the Shama.
Interestingly, the Shama is not really known for illegal mining, but quarry and agriculture (farming and fishing). Unfortunately, its coast is now bearing the effect of these illegal activities as the murky and heavily polluted river enters the sea.
Residents say the situation is denying them of the needed investment, as investors who have bought land in the area to develop into beach resorts are shying away.
At Anlo Village towards Komenda in the Central Region and also towards Aboadze direction, the beaches have lost their sparkle.
The resumption of illegal mining activities on the Pra River, which enters the sea at Anlo Village, has polluted the entire coastline, turning the blue sea into brown (high turbidity level).
Some residents who spoke to the Daily Graphic during a tour, said water from the Pra River, which enters the sea through the estuary, was once fresh and clean and served as a source of drinking water for the riverine communities.
The Pra River, which hitherto had clean and fresh water with active aquatic life, is now muddy due to illegal mining activities, according to the residents along it.
Muddy river/sea
Some told the Daily Graphic that because the estuary and part of the sea had become muddy, it was making it impossible for fishing in the Pra River and that shallow part of the sea.
This is attributed to the high turbidity level of the sea and the river, which has disturbed the natural habitat for river species; therefore, the river and the sea have lost their glory.
The residents opined that if the fight against illegal mining succeeded, the turbidity improved and the river and sea regained their glory, those who owned parcels of land at the beachfront in the area would move in to develop them into resorts.
That, the communities said, would lead to the opening of their settlements and create job opportunities. They said although they were not into mining, the activities of illegal miners had caught-up with them.
No more fishes
A fisherman in Shama, Godfred Egyir, said when they were young, the stretch from Shama Apo towards the estuary to Anlo Village where various types of fishes bred was a place they used to get great catches.
“We got cassava fish and other types of fish there. We used hook and line to fish as well but today the story is different, we have lost it all,” he lamented.
The other fishermen who do not venture into deep seas, he said, used drag nets and still got very good catches.
“The sea was nice and blue but today the sea is thick brown, dirty and unattractive to aquatic life,” he added.
Another fisherman, Egya Kwesi, said “in its original state the river was giving us food, today we don’t have the fish species anymore, ‘apoofee’ which is a snail with a turreted spiky shell and all small fishes are all gone because of the current state of the river due to galamsey.”
Daboase
From the coast of Shama, the team visited Daboase, where Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) takes its supply for processing and the situation was dire.
The quality of water from the Pra River is treated and supplied to residents in the twin city of Sekondi-Takoradi. The team found that even though the water level was up, it had high turbidity and still flowed with debris that created problems for the plants.
The current turbidity (cloudiness) of the Pra River from the records is about 3,000 NTU (Nephelometric Turbidity Unit) while the colour is 9,014 HU (Hezen Units), which is not the best, some officials said.
The acceptable turbidity value for drinking water is five NTU, while values of 80-150 NTU are acceptable for other water uses as appropriate, according to the Water Resources Commission.
Shutdown
The Communications Manager of the GWCL in charge of the Western and Central regions, Nana Yaw Barima Barnie, said if the current trend continued unchecked it would get to a point where the company would no longer be able to process the Pra River for drinking.
“Very soon the water pumps will not even be able to abstract this kind of excessively polluted water, since they were designed to abstract water and not to de-silt it, the silt and others are too much for our operations,” he said.
Nana Barnie explained that at a point water collected looked like mud, which is not meant for the pumps; and if it continued this way, the plant might be shut down.
He said: “If those carrying out the illegalities are not aware of the dangers, and threat to water supply – reality will soon set in and we will feel the repercussions if the illegal activities force the system to shut down.”
“Imagine the needs and uses of water; let’s ask ourselves if the system shuts down what will happen to domestic use, our hospitals, schools and other institutions that rely heavily on treated water supplied by Ghana Water,” he asked.
Nana Barnie called for swift interventions and support from all stakeholders to deal with the galamsey menace, since it has dire consequences for the nation.
Other effects
Other experts are of the view that the illegal mining activities release mercury and arsenic element into the environment, which accumulate in the water, where they convert into toxic methylmercury and enters the food chain.
Mercury contamination is said to be a significant public health and environmental problem because methylmercury easily enters the bloodstream and affects the brain.
Arsenic element is a naturally occurring metal found in the earth’s crust as the miners agitate the riverbed in search of gold. It occurs in various forms: elemental (metallic) arsenic; combined with other elements such as oxygen, chlorine, sulfur (inorganic arsenic); or combined with carbon and hydrogen (organic arsenic).
Radio personality Kwame Tanko has alleged that the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources Samuel Abu Jinapor was almost slapped at the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council.
According to him, the individual who almost slapped the Minister is involved in galamsey and could not fathom why a “small boy” wanted to disgrace him.
The individual, who he failed to name allegedly said “when did you come into the party, how much of your money has been used to run the political party? You want to disgrace me and spoil my job”.
He said it took the intervention of people around to stop the man from slapping the young, vibrant Minister.
“You know if I wasn’t there and I don’t have evidence, I won’t talk. When the President was in Kumasi to meet Chiefs and MMDCEs the Lands and Resource Minister was almost slapped. The person who wanted to beat him up questioned his locus in the party. When he raised his hand to slap the Minister, they held his hand,” Kwame Tanko said on Kumasi-based Angel FM.
The fight against illegal mining known in the local parlance as galamsey has come to the fore in National discussions.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo who in the past vowed to put his Presidency on the line to ensure that Ghana wins the fight against the menace destroying the country’s water bodies and forest reserves has reiterated his commitment to the fight.
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources has indicated that the fight has been left in the hands of the Military and if it fails, the Military will be blamed for the failure.
