The Executive Director of ECO-Conscious Citizens, Awula Serwaa, has issued a strong call for immediate and decisive action to curb illegal mining, which continues to wreak havoc on Ghana’s forests and water bodies.
Speaking on Prime News on ABC News GH, she warned that the country can no longer afford to delay in addressing the crisis.
“We need to act like yesterday, the situation is getting worse,” she emphasized, urging the government to move beyond discussions and implement urgent solutions.
She specifically called for the revocation of Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 2462 or the adoption of alternative proactive measures.
According to her, the government must either declare a state of emergency or equip security forces with the necessary resources to remove illegal mining equipment from affected areas.
“For heaven’s sake, do what needs to be done,” she pleaded, stressing that inaction would only worsen the situation.
Serwaa further highlighted the long-term consequences of illegal mining, warning that its impact goes beyond water pollution. “Not just our water is being poisoned, our food is being poisoned,” she stated.
She insisted that the country needs a sustainable and well-structured strategy to address the problem, cautioning that temporary measures will not be enough.
Her concerns come amid a recent disclosure by the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, who revealed that 44 of Ghana’s forest reserves are under severe attack by heavily armed illegal miners.
The minister noted that the Forestry Commission’s rapid response team has been unable to control the situation due to the sophisticated weapons in the hands of illegal miners.
