The Commonwealth Hall alumni of the University of Ghana, the North America chapter, has condemned the government for failing to address the illegal mining menace which is destroying Ghana’s environment.
The Old Vandals’ Association of North America (OVANA), in a statement released Monday, October 07, 2024, expressed disappointment with the government for its lazy approach in mapping up an intervention to address the matter.
The group therefore demanded from the government, an urgent step to address the issue or else, lead a demonstration involving students from primary to tertiary levels against the canker.
OVANA bemoaned the vulnerable environment galamsey has left many communities warning of its long-term health impact on the citizens.
The Association described galamsey as a national emergency, calling for immediate government intervention.
“Our rivers are polluted, farmlands destroyed, and communities left vulnerable to long-term health hazards,” the statement read.
As part of its demands, the Association is calling on the government to declare a state of emergency on galamsey, ban the act until and introduce a transparent regulatory framework and repeal the Legislative Instrument (LI) 2462, which they argue opened the floodgates for mining in forest reserves.
The statement further demanded that all mining laws in the country are reviewed to conform with global environmental standards that would not bring any harmful effect on the environment.
Meanwhile, the Association is also demanding the release of all protestors arrested and remanded into police and prison custody, some of whom have been granted bail.
“We demand that no citizen is harassed or detained for standing up to protect the environment. Peaceful protests are a constitutional right,” the release contained in some parts.
There is also a two-week ultimatum in the release to the government warning it not to make any further delays or else face the mammoth of all protests.
“Failure to do so will leave us with no choice but to mobilize students from all levels of education—primary, secondary, and tertiary—to stage a massive nationwide demonstration,” it warned.
OVANA also called on all presidential aspirants to publicly commit to addressing the galamsey menace. It said “the future of our nation depends on strong leadership that will decisively combat galamsey,” adding that galamsey goes beyond being a threat to the environment to human lives.
“The time to act is now. We must ensure that Ghana’s resources benefit all its citizens, not just a few,” OVANA concluded, calling on Ghanaians, civil society organisations, and the international community to join the fight to protect Ghana’s land, water, and future generations.
