The President of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, has expressed worry over the reduction of media campaigns against illegal small-scale mining, commonly known as galamsey.
According to him, the campaign in the past reduced the menace and has charged journalists to renew it.
He asserted that the state of Ghana’s waterbodies would have improved by now if the vibrancy and publicity on the illegality had continued.
Mr Dwumfour was speaking during the World Press Freedom Day 2024 commemoration at the Koforidua Technical University on Friday, May 3.
“The GJA seeks to lead a strong media campaign for the protection of the environment and the good of the country. In that regard, we wish to call on the media to resume the concerted campaign against illegal small-scale mining, popularly known as ‘galamsey’.
“In the past, our collective action in the fight against ‘galamsey’ yielded positive results, as we brought the issues to national attention for action.
“But for the retrogression in action by duty bearers, sanity would have prevailed, and our land and water bodies would have been healed by now. That notwithstanding, withdrawing from our duty, as we have done now, is more harmful to the nation,” he stated.
Aside from the galamsey campaign, he urged journalists to proritise sanitation and climate change.
“Apart from ‘galamsey’, the GJA wishes to call on the media to focus on and address other environmental issues such as sanitation and climate change. We will soon announce a comprehensive agenda on these environmental concerns,” he added.
He also made a clarion call on duty bearers to take responsibility and take significant actions to combat deforestation.
“We also urge duty bearers to accept responsibility by taking significant actions to combat this scourge, such as deforestation, which has the potential to devastate our land,” he urged.
This comes a few weeks after statesman, Sir Sam Jonah expressed worry galamsey issues no longer make headlines.
Delivering the keynote address to set the tone for the launch of the 75th Anniversary celebration, Sir Jonah said it was a shame and pity, adding the price of the continued silence is too grave to fathom.”
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