President Nana Akufo-Addo
President Nana Akufo-Addo has established that the ban on illegal mining activities, popularly known as “galamsey”, has reduced the rate at which carbon dioxide is emitted into the atmosphere.
Speaking at the 2023 Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, President Akufo-Addo indicated that following the devastating effect caused by unregulated mining activities, his government as a measure to curtail the degradation of the environment and biodiversity imposed a strict ban leading to the reduction of carbon emission.
This ban was imposed in 2017 on small-scale mining, directed at both licensed and unlicensed miners based on the fact that the mining activities caused both water and air pollution.
This, according to the President, has helped the country reduce its carbon emission.
Highlighting measures adopted by his government in the fight against the menace, President Akufo-Addo indicated that it has introduced the Green Ghana project, an aggressive afforestation and re-afforestation programme to restore the degraded landscape while employing some 2,000 youth to participate in the tree planting project.
He indicated that the aim is to sustain the positive results the government has achieved in this endeavour and the same will not be reneged upon.
“We placed a ban on illegal mining, the phenomenon we call ‘galamsey’, which was destroying our water bodies, vegetation, and our forest. Some 20, 000 young people have been engaged to plant more than 30 million trees in two years to create jobs and restore degraded lands,” he disclosed.
“These policy initiatives are already yielding positive results in the attainment of SDG Goals, particularly the goal of reducing our carbon emissions,” President Akufo-Addo said.
President Akufo-Addo also added that several flagship policy initiatives such as Planting for Food and Jobs, One Village, One Dam, and the ban on illegal mining have all contributed to reducing carbon emissions.
These policies, President Akufo-Addo pointed out, are helping the country build resilience to the impact of climate change.
He, thus, advised other African countries to take similar steps to reduce their carbon emissions and help the continent build resilience to the impacts of climate change.
Galamsey Fight
The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, in a recent media engagement announced that the government has deployed soldiers to the communities where illegal mining is ongoing, to help fight against the menace.
Additionally, the government has allocated significant funds and logistical support for the operation being spearheaded by Operation Halt II.
This includes the procurement of speed boats to patrol rivers, training of river guards, forest reserves declared as “red zones” for mining, and distribution of mercury-free gold processing machines (gold katchas) to small-scale miners.
Mr. Jinapor pledged the total and unflinching support of the President and the Ministry towards fighting the galamsey menace, with integrity and transparency without shielding anybody, irrespective of one’s political affiliation or standing in the society.
BY Prince Fiifi Yorke