Pressure Group, Occupy Ghana has waded into the campaign to kick against illegal mining in the country.
Dubbed #REDAPRIL IN THE FIGHT AGAINST GALAMSEY – the group in a statement has called on government to with immediate effect set out measures to combat what they described as a “potential national security threat”.
According to OccupyGhana, "the country is not only being cursed with a future of thirst but also, exposure to cancerous diseases caused by the consumption of food grown on toxic land."
"Before our very eyes, we are seeing a time-bomb that is waiting to explode – the desertification, deforestation and degradation of our land, erosion, pollution of rivers and other water bodies, and poor waste management. This cannot be allowed to continue for even a day more," the statement read.
The group thus called on "all well-meaning and concerned Ghanaians, throughout the month, to create awareness and speak out against Galamsey.
Let us then observe each Friday in April as a #RedFriday and wear some red apparel to reflect the sorry, new colour of our hitherto pristine water bodies, caused by Galamsey and as an optical and visual reminder to the Government that “our eyes are red” in our demand for immediate steps to reverse this trend."
Below is the full statement …
OccupyGhana® has studied the Galamsey phenomenon from all possible angles (social, economic, medical, legal etc.), and has concluded that there is and can be no conceivable justification for illegal mining to persist in Ghana.
OccupyGhana® therefore calls on the Government to take immediate steps to,
(i) Stop, prevent and then regulate all currently unlicensed and unregulated mining,
(ii) Explore the provision of gainful, alternative employment to persons engaged in Galamsey,
(iii) Support mass education on the Galamsey menace, particularly through local civil society, and
(iv) Be mindful of the potential national security threat that Galamsey poses.
In October 2016, OccupyGhana® sent a team to the Tarkwa area to study and report on Galamsey activities. The OG Team’s report paints a dire picture of the dangerous mix of a vibrant ‘Galamsey Economy’ that exists unrestrained and unchecked and in blatant disregard of the law, a huge industry organised through collusive effort between chiefs, other influential people in society such as politicians, law enforcement officers, farmers and the unemployed (now financed and equipped by Chinese operators and their Ghanaian front-men or competitors), the ruthless excavation of riverbeds and farms in the search for gold, the ruin of large rivers and streams, lakes and other water bodies (possibly permanently), the creation of gaping holes and concealed residue of mining activity left behind as death-traps, chemical residue that poison the earth and water, and the severe health challenges caused by Galamsey to its actors and others.
Ghana is thus, not only being cursed with a future of thirst but also, exposure to cancerous diseases caused by the consumption of food grown on toxic land.
Before our very eyes, we are seeing a time-bomb that is waiting to explode – the desertification, deforestation and degradation of our land, erosion, pollution of rivers and other water bodies, and poor waste management. This cannot be allowed to continue for even a day more.
As we conclude our Report for submission to the relevant authorities, we hereby declare the entire month of April as #RedApril. We encourage all well-meaning and concerned Ghanaians, throughout the month, to create awareness and speak out against Galamsey.
Let us then observe each Friday in April as a #RedFriday and wear some red apparel to reflect the sorry, new colour of our hitherto pristine water bodies, caused by Galamsey and as an optical and visual reminder to the Government that “our eyes are red” in our demand for immediate steps to reverse this trend.
#RedApril
#RedFriday
#StopGalamsey
#GalawayGalamsey
Source: Peacefmonline.com
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WHEN I SEE SOME OF OUR RIVERS AND THE LEVEL OF POLUTION I KINNA REALIZE HOW WEAK NANA ADDO IS. MASSA DONT SIT THERE AND WATCH AS MAHAMA DID. THOSE ENGAGED IN GALAMSEY MUST FIND BETTER WAYS OF DOING THEYRE BUSINESS BECAUSE THE PUBLIC DISAFECTION AGAINST THEM IS RISING TOO FAST.
IF OCCUPY GHANA IS SERIOUS ABOUT WE GETTING DECEASES LIKE CANCER THROUGH FOOD CONTAMINATION, THEY WOULD HAVE SENT THEY'RE CONCERNS TO PARLIAMENT WHEN THE ONE AND ONLY GMO MINISTER WAS BEING VETTED. GMO FOODS ARE MORE DANGEROUS THAN GALAMSEY!
Massa; this Occuppy Ghana are not serious ; they have good initiatives to combat this evil extraction of gold and render our waters polluted ;they sincerely wish to combat galamasey but to me their initiative is just another HOAX !!!!!;because galamsey is gone too deep and far besides there some BIG people behind this business and this chinese lady in Kumasi imports people from China to come and pollute our rivers ; can you imagine a Ghanaman going to China to pllute their rivers ; 'YOU MUST BE JOKING' the set up in Ghana is a free for all because of GREED ; everybody is after cash the legacy of Jon Mahama and the NDC and do not think about Ghana ; Big people in the NDC are involved ; Womtumi is involved BIG TIME !!!!! ; other NDC big men are involved ; the trick is simple they go to the Mining Commission and use their political owers to manipulate these civil servants and obtain big licenses by paying 'Nokofio' to these civil servants who do not even bother to follow up again ; the licenses are then sold to the chinesse behind the scenes for huge sums ;there are chiefs involed in the Ashanti region ; the Kyebihene Nana Amotia is involved but will tell you he is not involved but he operates behind his sub chiefs ; these krooked chiefs will tell you they own the land but what they forget is that all lands are invested in the people of Ghana besides a land in the Volta region does not belong to the Chief in Volta land no more than a land in the Ashanti region ; all lands belong are invested in the people ;the worse part is that these krooked chiefs think wrongly that these lands belong to their families and can do as they please they forgoet WATER IS LIFE AND THAT GOLD IS NOT LIFE ; if we lose our water we are finished as a nation ;they go north to the sahl and see how money cannot buy water ; Nana Addo should abrogate all licenses to any anybody till the rivers recover again otherwise we shall die of toxic mercury which is now in our rivers ; to me NANA addo should stop all small scale mining NOW !!!!!!until further NOTICE .