A Rocha Ghana, a prominent environmental organization, has partnered with six other civil society groups to file a lawsuit against the government over illegal mining activities within forest reserves.
The Coalition, which includes Kasa Ghana, Eco-Conscious Citizens, Tropenbos, Nature and Development Foundation, Civic Response, and the Media Coalition Against Galamsey, is alarmed by the severe environmental degradation caused by mining in these protected areas.
According to the Coalition, the passage of Legislative Instrument (LI) 2462 in 2022, which allows mining in Ghana’s forest reserves, has led to widespread destruction of these vital ecosystems and endangers the livelihoods of many Ghanaians.
During a press conference at A Rocha’s head office in Accra, Deputy National Director of A Rocha Ghana, Daryl Bossu, stressed that the group’s main goal is to secure an injunction to stop mining and prospecting in forest reserves to protect the environment.
Mr Bossu also revealed that, the lawsuit aims to challenge the legality of LI 2462.
“The Minerals Commission is still approving mining applications in forest reserves as recently as August 2024. Our case disputes the legality of the Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Regulations, LI 2462, which we believe was enacted in Parliament without the required environmental impact assessment, violating the Public Financial Management Act.
“This failure to adhere to proper procedures renders the regulation invalid,” he stated.
Source: Adomonline
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