Galamsey fight: Are illegal miners stronger than the military? – Awula Serwah asks
The Executive Director of Eco-Conscious Citizens, Awula Serwah, says she does not believe illegal miners are more powerful than the Ghana Armed Forces, arguing that the military could play a stronger role in tackling illegal mining.
Eco-Conscious Citizens' leader Awula Serwah urged the government to declare a targeted state of emergency in areas impacted by illegal mining, also known as galamsey. She emphasized the need to purge illegal miners from water bodies, farmlands, and forest reserves, and deploy response teams to prevent their return. Serwah criticized the public's lack of urgency in addressing the environmental destruction caused by galamsey, stating that citizens must demand accountability from political leaders to end the practice.
She highlighted that over 2.5 million peasant farmers faced the risk of losing their livelihoods due to the destruction of shea butter, oil palm, and cocoa farms. Serwah also denounced the government's failure to hold accountable those involved in illegal mining, citing the public identification of alleged perpetrators and the subsequent prosecution of activists while allowing the miners to escape.
She warned that the environmental damage from galamsey threatened food security and public health, urging the public to demand stronger action against the practice.
Written by urgent.news from MyJoyOnline Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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