The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference has called on President John Mahama to declare a targeted state of emergency in areas worst affected by illegal mining, known as galamsey.
During a visit to the Jubilee House, the President of the Conference, Most Rev. Matthew Gyamfi, presented a series of strong recommendations to help combat the growing threat of environmental degradation caused by illegal mining activities.
Introducing the proposal, he said, “Your Excellency, we propose the following and we are ready to back you up in all ways to arrest this menace. First, repeal of permissive legal instruments.”
He continued, “Audit and repeal legislative instruments enabling unchecked licensing under the Minerals and Mining Act 2006 (Act 703) and associated legislative instruments. Place a moratorium on licences, and an immediate freeze on new artisanal and small-scale mining licences until a full review of environmental and social impact is completed.”
Calling for decisive action, Most Rev. Gyamfi added, “We believe there should be a targeted state of emergency. Declare, Your Excellency, a limited state of emergency in all the affected zones to suspend all mining activities temporarily. Deploy military engineering units for reclamation.”
In response, President Mahama assured the Bishops that his government is already taking firm steps to curb the crisis.
“We have flushed out illegal miners from the country’s forest reserves and seized their equipment to prevent further environmental degradation,” he said.
The President also highlighted the role of the Ghana Gold Board, explaining that its responsibilities go beyond gold buying and exportation.
“If you read the law, part of the Gold Board’s responsibilities is to work with small-scale miners who are compliant, to give them the technology and assistance to do mining sustainably,” he noted.
President Mahama welcomed a key proposal from the Bishops on land reclamation, saying, “One of the things that Reverend Gyamfi raised in his presentation was the issue of a reclamation bond. We don’t charge reclamation bond to small-scale mining companies. We do it for the big companies. But it’s time for us to bring a reclamation bond to the small-scale mining community.”
He explained how the bond would work saying; “Some of the revenue they get from the gold is put into that bond. If they finish and they reclaim the land, their money is refunded. If they don’t, then that money will be used to contract people who will come and do the reclamation for us.”
On the broader damage already caused, the President revealed that “16% of our forest reserves have been destroyed and encroached upon.” He added that plans are underway to use the carbon credit system to finance the restoration of affected areas.
Beyond the issue of illegal mining, President Mahama also touched on the economy, stating that his government has introduced targeted interventions to help ease the rising cost of living.