The Christian Council of Ghana (CCG) has called for stronger enforcement of laws against illegal mining (galamsey), urging the government to deploy more security personnel and resources to protect water bodies and farmlands from further destruction.
The Council’s Chairman, Rev. Enoch Nii Narh Thompson, said the fight against galamsey must go beyond public education and dialogue to include firm action by law enforcement agencies.
Speaking to Citi News, Rev. Thompson, who also serves as Executive President of the Ghana Baptist Convention, described galamsey as both an environmental and public health concern that requires the Church’s active involvement.
“If the water bodies that the people drink from are polluted, and the soil is poisoned, it is a business of the Church,” he said.
He disclosed that the Christian Council had engaged the government on the issue on several occasions, including meetings with President John Dramani Mahama.
Rev. Thompson urged policymakers and law enforcement agencies to intensify efforts to curb illegal mining, calling for increased deployment of the military, police and specialised agencies, as well as more personnel to support enforcement operations.
“The way forward is for policymakers and implementers to use the resources available to them to tackle the issues head-on. The use of the military, the police and specialised agencies must be increased. More people must be engaged to serve in those areas,” he said.
He added that dialogue with communities must be matched with enforcement of existing laws to bring illegal mining to an end.
“Whilst we talk with people, we must also enforce the laws so that the menace could be brought to an end,” he said.
