President Nana Akufo-Addo has mentioned he intends to take the galamsey struggle a notch larger in his second time period to show to Ghanaians that he’s severe about it.
At a courtesy name on him on the Jubilee Home by Okyenhene Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin and the Akyem Abuakwa Conventional Council on Friday, 23 April 2021, the president noticed: “We’ve seen what has occurred to River Birim, Ankobrah and different main water our bodies”, promising: “I’ll put in a number of efforts within the galamsey struggle for Ghanaians to know that I’m severe concerning the struggle in order that we are able to bequeath to the subsequent era the gold, water and different sources we inherited from our forefathers”.
“I intend to do all the things inside my energy on this second time period to deliver this galamsey menace to a conclusion in Ghana,” he added.
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A number of days in the past, the president mentioned mentioned his struggle towards unlawful small-scale mining won’t be primarily based on rumour and unsubstantiated allegations.
At a nationwide dialogue on small-scale mining organised by the Minister of Land and Pure Assets in Accra on Wednesday, 14 April 2021, President Akufo-Addo, who has been criticised prior to now for letting a few of his appointees, who’ve been accused of aiding and abetting galamsey actions go scot-free, mentioned he’ll solely act on such whistle-blowing primarily based on proof.
“I’m decided to implement the legal guidelines of unlawful mining irrespective of the topic – excessive or low”, the President mentioned.
“I’ll, nonetheless, not act on rumour or mere allegations with out extra”, he famous.
Nevertheless, he added: “I cannot hesitate to behave, although, when the proof is tough earlier than the police and I’d achieve this regardless of the standing of the individual or individuals concerned”.
That, based on him, “is the true that means of equality earlier than the regulation”.
Mr Akufo-Addo additionally mentioned: “I wish to construct on the modest progress made in my first time period”.
“I wish to be taught from our shortcomings and obtain productive enter from this discussion board for functions of enhancing the regulation of the sector”, he famous.
He mentioned: “Out of this consultative dialogue, I hope we’ll construct a nationwide consensus round a nationwide coverage on small-scale mining”.
Hopefully, he famous, “on the finish of the day, we should always be capable of construct a broad-based nationwide consensus across the necessity to stamp out the menace of unlawful small-scale mining and the necessity to assist and develop a accountable small-scale mining”.
Learn the president’s full speech under
Handle By President Akufo-Addo At The Opening Of The Maiden Nationwide Consultative Dialogue On SmallScale Mining
ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC, NANA ADDO DANKWA AKUFO-ADDO, AT THE
OPENING OF THE MAIDEN NATIONAL CONSULTATIVE DIALOGUE ON SMALL-SCALE MINING
HELD AT THE ACCRA INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CENTRE, ACCRA, ON WEDNESDAY, 14TH APRIL 2021.
I thank the energetic, new Minister for Lands and Pure Assets, Hon. Samuel Abu Jinapor, Member of Parliament for Damongo, for convening this nationwide consultative dialogue on small-scale mining, and for the invitation to ship these remarks. We’ve come from far and close to, and from throughout the political divide, due to the significance we connect to the subject material, and due to our collective willpower to discover a convergence of minds on the way in which ahead.
My views on the matter are well-known and well-documented. Nevertheless, sure occurrences, particularly within the run-up to the election of seventh December final, have impressed my insistence on the entire nation having a nationwide dialog on galamsey, and I thank every one among you for making it to this consultative dialogue.
I wish to start by emphasising one level. Mining can create jobs; mining can enhance livelihoods, and mining can generate wealth.
However it can’t, and should not achieve this on the expense of damaging the very surroundings that produces the riches.
We’ve to acknowledge that Ghana will not be made up of solely the people, however can be made up of the soil, the mountains and valleys, the forests, the rivers, the lakes, the seas, and the plant and animal life as nicely.
With out them, we, people, can’t, and won’t, survive; and they also additionally want nurturing.
We’ve to acknowledge that the pure surroundings has as a lot a proper to be right here as we people do.
In lots of elements of the world, tales abound of wildlife returning to rivers and lakes, parks and gardens, and even to some city and village centres, as individuals retreated into lockdowns or reduce on open public actions due to COVID-19.
There may be clearly a contest between us, people, and the pure surroundings, and it’s a lesson we should collectively confront.
We should adapt to co-existing in peace and concord with nature.
That is the time to assist rejuvenate our land, the time to take a cautious take a look at how we use the land, the time to revisit our farming and constructing practices, and, sure, the time to handle the problem of galamsey.
I’ve mentioned it on many events, and it’s value repeating.
The Almighty has blessed us with treasured minerals in our land.
It’s not stunning, subsequently, that mining has all the time been a part of our lives.
There may be nothing unsuitable with mining, or attempting to use the minerals we’ve got been blessed with to develop our nation.
A considerable a part of the income of the central authorities comes from mining.
Certainly, the central authorities is all the time looking for progressive methods to maximise the earnings from mining with a purpose to present public infrastructure. Households, too, rely on incomes from mining actions to place meals on the desk.
Mining turns into problematic and harmful, when strategies employed pose a hazard to the land, the water our bodies, and the very lives of the individuals.
Mining turns into a hazard to the society when, after extracting the gold, diamond, or different stones and minerals, the land is left degraded and poisoned with poisonous supplies, the water our bodies are became entities that may now not assist life, and vegetation and fish can’t survive in our rivers.
Mining turns into a hazard to the society, when the websites are deserted, abandoning craters stuffed with
mercury and different poisons, which can’t assist anymore fauna or flora.
We’ve had stunning and majestic rivers and streams.
At the moment, there may be not a lot to have a good time concerning the Pra or the Birim, and there may be not a lot to be enthusiastic about over our famed thick forests and the animals that inhabit them.
Unacceptable mining and logging practices have laid them to waste.
After I known as for a nationwide dialog on galamsey, which, finally, has led to the holding of this dialogue on the theme “Sustainable Small-Scale Mining for Nationwide Improvement”, it isn’t as a result of I’ve any doubts about the necessity to shield our lands and our surroundings.
It’s as a result of I would like us to have a consensus on a sustainable technique of mining the minerals in our land.
We can’t have one a part of the political divide campaigning for galamsey within the bush, and the opposite waging an official struggle towards galamsey within the open.
We should show that we love our land, and are able to caring for it ourselves. We don’t want foreigners to marketing campaign for the safety of Ghanaian land, our inheritance.
We don’t want particular curiosity teams to marketing campaign for the safety of Ghanaian soil, natural world.
It’s the land of our beginning, it’s the land we inhabit, it’s the land that helps our lives and livelihoods, it’s the land we named Ghana at independence sixty-four (64) years in the past, and we, the Ghanaian individuals, should be its greatest protectors.
We should imply it after we sing with delight Owura Amu’s track….”Yɛn ara yɛn asaase ni; ɛyɛ abuoden ma yɛn. Mogya naa nananom hwiegu nya detoo hɔ maa yɛn…. “That is our land; it’s expensive to us. Our forebears gave their blood so we might inherit it.”
Fellow Ghanaians, it’s completely essential that deliberations at this consultative dialogue be candid and devoid of partisanship or slim parochial pursuits.
Hopefully, on the finish of the day, we should always be capable of construct a broadbased nationwide consensus across the necessity to stamp out the menace of unlawful small-scale mining, and the necessity to assist and develop accountable small-scale mining.
There are points of our nationwide life that are truthful topic issues of partisan politics. We should, nonetheless, come to the understanding that small scale mining, and the requirement to dispose of illegalities in that sector, ought to be past partisan politics.
Some topics merely can’t be a part of our on a regular basis politicking, and I urge this discussion board to insist that unlawful small-scale mining, and issues regarding it, ought to be one among such points requiring nationwide effort.
Authorities has a significant accountability to this finish, as we’re accountable for the stewardship of this sector, as, certainly, we’re of all different sectors of nationwide life. I’m decided to implement the legal guidelines on unlawful mining irrespective of the topic, excessive or low.
I’ll, nonetheless, not act on the idea of rumour or mere allegations with out extra.
I cannot hesitate to behave, although, the place the proof is tough earlier than the Police, and I’ll achieve this regardless of the standing of the individual or individuals concerned.
That’s the true that means of equality earlier than the regulation.
We wish to construct on the modest progress made in my first time period. We wish to be taught from our shortcomings and obtain productive inputs from this discussion board for functions of enhancing the regulation of the sector.
Out of this maiden consultative dialogue, I hope we are going to construct a nationwide consensus round a nationwide coverage on small scale mining, that promotes a accountable, viable, environmentally-sustainable small-scale mining business, which has discarded the usage of mercury, chanfans and excavators, which has barred the involvement of overseas nationals, and which has rejected the destruction of our forests, surroundings and water our bodies.
See additionally: Meet the primary batch of Akufo-Addo’s Deputy Ministers
This imaginative and prescient of what small-scale mining ought to be will need to have the assist of your complete nation
I urge this colloquium to be daring and forthright in its deliberations.
In different phrases, say it as it’s.
No topic or individual ought to be above critique.
Politicians, conventional authorities, policymakers, media, so-called influential individuals, ought to all not be past your scrutiny.
On the finish of the day, what the Ghanaian individuals count on from this course of are options which can help in coping with this endemic downside.
I’ve confidence within the integrity of the individuals gathered on this room and I’m positive that, out of your deliberations, a workable blueprint might be produced.
Accordingly, girls and gents, I declare the primary nationwide consultative dialogue on small scale mining duly launched, and I want you nicely in your discussions.
Might God bless us all, and our homeland Ghana, and make her nice and powerful.
I thanks to your consideration.
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