Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings
The Minister-designate for Environment, Science and Technology, Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, has called for stronger coordination among government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to tackle illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, and its devastating effects on the environment and human life.
She said the fight against illegal mining could not be left to a single ministry or institution, describing it as an “all-of-government and all-of-society imperative.”
Dr. Agyeman-Rawlings made the call when she appeared before Parliament’s Appointments Committee for her vetting yesterday.
She said effective coordination among the various institutions involved in the fight was necessary to avoid duplication of efforts and ensure that interventions produced meaningful results.
“The fight against illegal mining and the subsequent damage it does to the environment and human life are an all-of-government and all-of-society imperative,” she said.
Dr. Agyeman-Rawlings said if approved by Parliament, one of her first actions would be to engage ministers whose portfolios were directly connected to the fight against illegal mining.
She specifically mentioned the Ministries of Lands and Natural Resources and Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, saying their collaboration would be critical because illegal mining activities largely occurred within the local governance system.
“I would want to sit with the relevant ministers of the various ministries that have an interest in the fight, which would range from the Lands as well as the Local Government, to ensure that we are all on the same page, to avoid the silo effect,” she said.
According to her, bringing the relevant ministries and agencies together would establish a common approach to the problem and ensure that each institution understood its role in addressing the menace.
She also identified the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) as a key institution in the fight and said she would work closely with it to obtain a comprehensive briefing on the current situation and the interventions already being implemented.
Dr. Agyeman-Rawlings further advocated regular reporting on measures being taken against illegal mining.
She said such reporting would improve transparency and allow the government to assess whether its interventions were achieving the desired results.
The Minister-designate stressed that the environmental damage caused by illegal mining had implications beyond the mining areas, particularly where activities affected natural resources and human health.
She therefore called for a coordinated national response involving government institutions and wider society.
Her position comes amid continuing efforts by the government and other stakeholders to address illegal mining and its effects on Ghana’s water bodies, forests and communities.
Dr. Agyeman-Rawlings said the responsibility for tackling the problem should be shared among institutions whose mandates had a bearing on mining, local governance and environmental protection.
She said closer collaboration among the agencies would help eliminate gaps in enforcement and ensure that interventions were implemented in a coordinated manner.
She also indicated that consultation with the relevant institutions would be an important first step in determining the most effective approach to the problem if she received parliamentary approval.
Dr. Agyeman-Rawlings said the government needed to move away from isolated interventions and adopt a unified strategy that brought together all institutions with a stake in protecting the environment and the wellbeing of Ghanaians.
By Ernest Kofi Adu, Parliament House