The Media Coalition Against Galamsey has raised concerns over the inability of the Inter-ministerial Committee On Mining to address what it termed as critical concerns in the roadmap on lifting the ban on small-scale mining in Ghana.
According to the coalition, the roadmap launched by Prof. Kwabena Frimpong Boateng recently in Accra does not provide enough clarity on some critical areas which include, among other things, the role of the media in educating and informing the public on issues of national concern; unclear timelines for lifting the ban.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Telecomm Chambers and former Managing Director of Graphic Communications Group Limited, Ken Ashiegbey, who addressed journalists on Thursday in Accra on behalf of the coalition, stated that “whilst welcoming the strides made and successes chalked so far in the fight against galamsey, we believe that laying out a roadmap without addressing critical concerns seems to be putting the cart before the horse.”
“We, therefore, find it worrying that the roadmap for lifting the ban on artisanal and small-scale mining and the way forward fails to recognise the role of the media and its contribution to the success of this national fight,” he explained.
He told journalists that the role of National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) in providing education to the citizenry which is equally important was not recognised by the committee in the roadmap.
Mr. Ashiegbey contended that if there had been extensive engagement with stakeholders, including the media, NCCE, Water Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (WRI-CSIR) and other partners of the coalition which have been involved in the #StopGalamsey fight, the roadmap could have been enriched to address the concerns raised above.
“We are happy that government has provided a blueprint. However, we believe that this document could be enriched with further stakeholder engagement, including the media and MCAG. The roadmap, therefore, needs to include a stakeholder engagement and communication strategy without which the roadmap will be challenged,” he pointed out.
Sustain Fight
Meanwhile, the coalition has expressed its preparedness to continue the fight against illegal mining in the national interest.
According to Mr. Ashiegbey, the media would continue to hold the government accountable to the intended actions, highlighting the harmful effects of illegal mining and the resultant destruction it causes to the environment, including pollution of water bodies.
“We must not lose this fight for the sake of our future generations,” he maintained.
The Managing Director of Times Corporation, Carol Annang, said the media must continue to engage residents in mining communities to keep their hopes alive in the fight against illegal mining activities that devastate the environment and water bodies.
BY Melvin Tarlue