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Accra Archdiocese, Religious Superiors Petition Ghana’s President to Take “decisive” Action against Illegal Mining

By ACI Africa Staff

Accra, 14 October, 2024 / 8:14 pm (ACI Africa).

President Nana Addo Akufo-Addo of Ghana needs to take “immediate and decisive” action against illegal mining in the West African nation, the leadership of the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra and members of the Conference of Major Superiors of Religious - Ghana (CMSR-GH) have demanded.

In a petitioned to the Ghanaian head of State during the “Environmental Prayer Walk” against illegal mining that was realized in the streets of Ghana’s capital city, Accra, on October 11, the leadership of Accra Archdiocese and CMSR-GH highlight the negative effects of illegal mining, commonly known as Galamsey, on persons and the country’s ecosystem.

The petition, which Bishop Anthony Narh Asare, one of the Auxiliary Bishops of the Ghanaian Metropolitan See, read out, outlines six demands to the Ghanaian government, describing Galamsey as an “environmental and social catastrophe threatening the country’s future”.

“We urge the government to swiftly employ all available means to immediately halt illegal mining activities,” the Catholic Church leaders say in the three-page petition that Archbishop John Bonaventure Kwofie of Accra and the CMSR-GH President, Fr. Paul Sadede Annin, co-signed.

In explaining this first demand, the leaders of the two Catholic institutions say that the government of Ghana needs to “clearly and unambiguously” state that the practice of Galamsey is “a Social, Economic and National Security issue.”

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Concretely, when the government makes this articulation, the Catholic Church leaders outline what the government “must” do.

“It must engender actions such as the declaration of a state of emergency in relation to galamsey, triggering a moratorium on issuing mining licences, repealing of LI 2462, which allows mining in forest reserves, enforcing existing laws, holding perpetrators accountable, and ensuring that those involved in illegal mining face the full force of the law without fear or favour,” the leadership of Accra Archdiocese and that of CMSR-GH say in their first demand to the government of Ghana.

In their second demand, the Church leaders call for “education and awareness campaigns”. They urge the media, civil society organizations, and faith bodies to “amplify campaigns about the devastating consequences of galamsey, empowering communities with knowledge about the long-term consequences of galamsey.”

The Catholic Church leaders also demand the “restoration of affected areas”. Specifically, they demand that the Ghanaian government prioritizes “the reclamation of destroyed lands and the restoration of polluted water bodies.”

The reclamation and restoration processes, they emphasize, “must involve local communities, led by the Chiefs.” These processes, the Church leaders continue, must be “transparent to ensure the recovery of the environment.”

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“We recommend strongly, a temporary moratorium on all licensed community mining activities,” the Ghanaian Archdiocese and CMSR-GH say.

In their demand for the promotion of “sustainable mining practices” as a fourth demand, the Catholic Church leaders say they recognize the economic importance of mining in Ghana’s economy. They however insist that the practice “must be curried out responsibly and sustainably”.

“We call on licensed mining companies to adhere strictly to environmental regulations and to adopt practices that protect the environment,” they say.

As a fifth demand, the Archdiocese of Accra and CMSR-GH call on the Ghanaian government to support “alternative livelihood programs”, explaining that many involved in galamsey “do so out of economic desperation”.

The alternative programs that the government should invest in, they say, should be able to “provide sustainable employment opportunities for these individuals, particularly in the agricultural sector.”

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The Catholic Church leaders also demand for “political campaign against galamsey”.

They demand that all Presidential and Parliamentary candidates in the forthcoming general elections “make public commitments against galamsey in their ongoing political campaigns” and that they “call on their followers to follow suit.”

The Catholic Church leaders pledge to assist the processes “through constant prayer and education”.

The three-page petition also addresses the extensive loss of agricultural land, noting that “vast stretches of arable land, cocoa farms, and other crops have been destroyed by illegal mining activities, threatening food security and economic stability for small-scale farmers.”

“How can we justify the rise in stillbirths and deformities in newborns caused by such unscrupulous and selfish enterprise?” they pose.

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The October 11 “Environmental Prayer Walk” started with a “Service of Preparation” at the Holy Spirit Cathedral of Accra Archdiocese, with participants carrying placards with different messages on environmental stewardship as they walked through the streets of Ghana’s capital city, Accra, praying the Holy Rosary.

In his address to the participants, Archbishop Kwofie of Accra Archdiocese, “vehemently” called upon Catholics involved in galamsey to “lay down their tools”.

Ernest Senanu Dovlo contributed to the writing of this story

ACI Africa Staff

ACI Africa was founded in 2019. We provide free, up-to-the-minute news affecting the Catholic Church in Africa, giving particular emphasis to the words of the Holy Father and happenings of the Holy See, to any person with access to the internet. ACI Africa is proud to offer free access to its news items to Catholic dioceses, parishes, and websites, in order to increase awareness of the activities of the universal Church and to foster a sense of Catholic thought and culture in the life of every Catholic.