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Galamsey Fight: To Do Nothing Is No Longer An Option – Otumfuo
10-Sep-2024
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His Royal Majesty the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has urged members of the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) as well as other professionals not to relent on their advocacy against the menace of illegal mining that has brought devastating impact on the living conditions of some Ghanaians and the environment at large.
Asantehene’s call follows recent statements released by UTAG, GMA, and GBA condemning illegal mining and advocating for a ban on both small-scale and illegal mining practices.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II posited that, the bold step by the President of the Ghana Bar Association to rally his members into fighting the illegal mining should be greatly commended thereby calling on other leaders to influence their members to join in the fight against illegal mining.
He maintained that illegal mining activities is a major environmental threat and questioned the legal system’s response to individuals who pollute water bodies.
Otumfuo said, “Galamsey is an environmental enemy for the nation. What could be more serious for any people than to have the entire water supply system at risk? So, I think as lawyers you should find space during this conference to set up a panel to undertake a quick tour of the communities where this call is most prevalent to see the extent of the crisis we face and hopefully deliberate on how the laws should respond.”
“As I see it, if an individual poisoned the water supply of a community, he will be liable for severe consequences under the law. What does the law do when one pours mercury into the same water supply knowing fully well it can kill? This issue now requires the collective effort of all sections of society. To do nothing is no longer an option. The Bar Association, the medical association and the university should get together to deal with this emergency.”
As part of his visit to Cape Coast to celebrate the Fetu Afahye with the Chiefs and people of Cape Coast, Otumfuo revealed the shock he received when he visited the Pra River which has been heavily polluted with Galamsey activities, describing the situation as very embarrassing.
“While I was going to Cape Coast, I stopped over the River Pra and what I saw was so embarrassing and then if as a nation we live for this to happen to us, we have to fight this no matter what.”
The Asantehene has widely been commended for cracking the whip on some of his chiefs who were engaged in illegal mining by stripping off the Chieftaincy titles from them.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, who was a guest at the Annual Conference of the Ghana Bar Association at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi, has rallied the collective efforts of all stakeholders and professional groups to take action against the destruction caused by the menace.
