The head pastor of The Maker’s House Chapel International, Dr Michael Boadi Nyamekye, has emphasised the need for a holistic approach in fighting illegal mining locally known as galamsey.
In an interview on Asempa FM Ekosii Sen programme Tuesday, Dr Nyamekye noted that banning galamsey completely is not sustainable.
This according to him is because people will always find ways to return to the pits and resume the illegality despite the devastation on the environment and health.
Dr Nyamekye has therefore proposed that in the government’s quest to ban galamsey in Ghana, job creation for the youth must be prioritised.
“Is artisanal and community mining possible? such that the government would get involved properly by engaging traditional authorities and also ensure that people will cover pits and there will be afforestation after mining.
“We can’t just ask people to stop galamsey without providing solutions because they may stop today but return due to the lack of a job,” he stated.
Dr Nyamekye added, “There must a government policy, proper direction and dialogues with the trditional rulers because they are the custodians of the land.”
He further announced that, he is currently working on a literature on the impact of illegal mining and what has been the best practices over the years in other jurisdictions which will be published in a few weeks.
“I don’t want people to approach things of national importance with sentiments and emotions. Now our farmlands are been destroyed and our food security is even under threat. So we should look at galamsey as a national security because if the lands are no longer arable, we can’t farm and that’s what we should consider largely,” he added.
There have been growing concerns following the government’s perceived failure to address galamsey in Ghana due to which several groups have threatened to embark on demonstrations and strike actions.
On Tuesday, Organised Labour for instance during an emergency meeting held expressed its dissatisfaction with the government’s inaction.
Following an earlier ultimatum to embark on a protest by the end of September, the union has announced plans to kickstart a nationwide strike effective October 10, 2024.
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