NPA CEO, Edudzi Tameklo
CEO of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Godwin Edudzi Tameklo, has said that the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference raised very important points in the statement they issued on the illegal small-scale mining (Galamsey).
He stated that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and President John Dramani Mahama respect the views of the Catholic Bishops.
“The NDC and President Mahama respect the views expressed by the Catholic bishops’ conference on galamsey,” he said on the Key Points on TV3 Saturday September 20.
The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference urged President John Dramani Mahama to declare a state of emergency in the areas affected by illegal small-scale mining.
According to the Catholic Bishops, such a declaration would empower extraordinary interventions.
In addition to the call to declare a state of emergency, they also noted that the galamsey fight requires a holistic, integrated national strategy.
Their call comes at a time when President John Dramani Mahama said that he has been reluctant to implement a state of emergency in the galamsey fight because they have not exhausted the powers to tackle illegal mining.
President Mahama said this at the media encounter in Accra on Wednesday, September 10. “I’ve been reluctant to implement a state of emergency in the galamsey fight because we’ve not exhausted the powers we even have without a state of emergency,” he explained.
He stressed that government agencies already have the mandate to arrest offenders, seize equipment, and enforce forest protection laws.
“We have the opportunity to arrest anybody, to confiscate any such thing. The laws for forest protection and all that give us enough powers to be able to act,” he said.
But the Catholic Bishops, in a statement, said that “We therefore urge the President and his government to declare, without hesitation, a state of emergency in the most affected mining zones and around endangered water bodies. Such a declaration would empower extraordinary interventions: curfews in volatile areas, the securing of devastated lands, the dismantling of entrenched criminal syndicates, and the halting of corrupt administrative complicities. The scale of the crisis justifies nothing less.
“But we stress: a declaration, while urgent, is insufficient. Ghana requires a holistic, integrated national strategy. Laws governing mining must be revised, sharpened, and rigorously enforced, with stiffer penalties for offenders. Specialised courts should be established to expedite prosecutions. A permanent, well-resourced, and corruption-proof task force must be constituted, comprising security services, environmental experts, and local authorities, to ensure consistent enforcement beyond transient crackdowns.
“Yet justice must be tempered with mercy. Those driven to galamsey by desperation must be offered sustainable alternatives. Properly regulated small-scale mining zones could be created, fortified with environmental safeguards and technical support. Displaced farmers should be restored with land, credit, and training. A nationwide afforestation and reclamation programme should be launched, not only to heal the scars of destruction but also to provide dignified employment, especially for the youth. We appeal to President Mahama to show the courage of leadership. His government must prosecute not only the poor but also the powerful; not only the weak but also the well-connected. Without courage, no policy will stand, no law will hold, no declaration will succeed.”
Source:Lovinghananews.com
