Ghanaian broadcast journalist Serwaa Amihere has expressed shock over the seeming silence of President John Dramani Mahama on the galamsey issue.
According to her, the President has said little about the long-standing menace in three of his most important speeches since assuming office — the inaugural speech, the State of the Nation Address, and the Independence Day Speech.
In a social media post on Thursday, March 6, following the President’s speech at the Independence Day celebration held at the Jubilee House, Serwaa Amihere stressed the deadly effects of illegal mining on the people.
“President Mahama has made 3 important speeches at very important occasions (inauguration day, SONA and independence day) and he has said little about illegal mining or galamsey, which poses a threat to our existence as a people,” her post reads.
Meanwhile, in his state of the Nation address to Parliament on Thursday, February 27, the President noted that galamsey has inflicted tremendous harm on Ghana’s forest reserves, leading to significant land degradation and the pollution of vital water sources.
“This reckless activity threatens Ghana’s environment and public health. Presently, 44 of the country’s 288 forest reserves have been impacted, an area that is alarmingly equivalent to approximately 7,504 football pitches,” the president noted.
He further stated that the pollution levels in major rivers within the southwestern basin are critically high, with turbidity levels far exceeding permissible limits.
To combat this urgent crisis, Mr. Mahama said his administration is implementing a proactive approach that includes robust and impartial law enforcement, meaningful stakeholder engagement, and the creation of alternative livelihood programmes.
“We are expanding the Minerals Commission’s regional offices to strengthen regulatory oversight. We are establishing a framework that categorises mining activities into small, medium, and large-scale operations, each with tailored regulations,” he revealed.
