Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Sulemanu Koney has warned that Ghana’s environment is under serious siege from irresponsible mining.
Koney sounded this alarm in his remarks during a dialogue session organized by WaterAid Ghana and aired on Joy news, to discuss the impact of the menace of illegal mining on Ghana’s environment.
The mines chamber CEO said the fight against the canker of illegal mining, locally referred to as Galamsey, needs the support of all Ghanaians because the impact thereof affects the entire country and future generations.
He said urgent steps need to be taken immediately to arrest the worsening situation of ecological disaster, especially before the election year of 2024.
“We are about to enter the election year, and usually in election years, duty bearers look the other way while illegal mining goes on. And if this is the gravity of the situation even before the election year, then we can imagine what will happen when we enter the election year,” Koney added.
Rather than the continued lip-service to the menace, he asked that the country adopts strategies and programs to sustain the environment, while meeting the needs of stakeholders.
“We need to move beyond the rhetoric and take bold steps to cure this canker before it destroys this country,” Koney urged.