Outspoken
Ghanaian economist, Professor Stephen Adei, have served notice he will embark
on a “one man aluta” to compel the government to, as a matter of urgency, halt
the growing phenomenon of illegal mining, popularly referred to as galamsey.
He
says his campaign starts from January 7, 2017 when Ghana completes the process
of electing a President to steer the affairs of the nation.
“Whoever
wins, if they are not going to do anything about galamsey and the level of
environmental degradation, you’ll see Stephen Adei on a one man aluta,” he told
a gathering in Kumasi.
The
17 thousand illegal miners in the country are causing havoc with impunity “because
there are ‘big’ men behind them” who have invested in big machinery for the
operations.
There
are also fears of an imminent depletion of forest and water resources as the
miners employ all kinds of equipment to uproot trees and dig the ground deep in
search of gold.
In
the Western region, the Upper Wassaw Forest Reserve has hundreds of illegal miners
destroying about 12 hectares of the forest reserve; trees have been razed
indiscriminately, water bodies destroyed and deep pits left uncovered.
Two
water treatment plants in the Ashanti region are currently producing below
capacity as illegal miners encroach on lands within the catchment of the
Barekese and Owabi dams.
Cocoa industry experts have also warned the spate of illegal
mining activities could cutback Ghana’s cocoa production targets if immediate
steps are not taken to address the menace.
Cocoa
farmers at Keniago and other communities in the Amansie West District of
Ashanti are already giving up on farming as illegal mining operations take over
fertile lands in the area.
Prof.
Stephen Adei therefore wants the menace halted immediately before illegal
miners hold the country hostage.
“We
have to make life uncomfortable for whoever is responsible… because the level
of environmental degradation in Ghana is so much that we risk poisoning the
land, animals and human beings,” he stated.
Environmental
sustainability has been identified among best practices to attain the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs).
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