By:A news desk report
The President of the republic of Ghana,Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo –Addo has been challenged to be bold and take the tough decision to halt the activities of water pollution and destruction of the country’s forest reserves by banning both illegal mining(galamsey),licensed small scale and Community mining across the country indefinitely and pay compensations to the licensed ones.
The Presiding Member (PM) of Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly who doubles as Assembly member for Krofrom East Electoral area,Hon. Patrick Kwame Frimpong who made the call in an interview with The New Trust Newspaper, predicted that recent meeting with the National House of Chiefs by the President and planned to set up another Committee to fight the activities of illegal mining popularly known in Ghana as galamsey will not yet any positive result.
He said the strategies Nana Addo who put his presidency on the line with a commitment to fight illegal mining in the run-up to 2020 general elections is not much different from what former President Mahama did in 2014 by inaugurating a Committee to deal with illegal mining activities but the desire result has still not be achieved.
Hon.Frimpong who is also a former NPP 1st Vice chairman for Manhyia North said in spite of all measures put in place so far and huge amount spent on the various inter-Ministerial Committees and Anti-galamsey taskforce, the situation is still getting worse day by day.
All evidence available shows clearly that the disadvantages of allowing licensed small scale mining and Community mining activities who are accusing each other of also engaged in the galamsey far outweighs the advantage or the benefits the country is driving from the sector.
It is therefore high time the President takes the bold decision to ban both licensed small scale mining, Community mining as well as unlicensed mining also known as galamsey forever to save the future of the country.
KMA PM said Ghana is currently sitting on a big time-boom as far as the effects of the use of heavy metal and chemical to pollute surface and underground water in the country.”If nothing is urgently done to ban small scale mining and community mining as well as illegal mining activities the country risks severe health disaster.
”I am therefore advocating for the total ban of small scale mining and Community mining by the President and pay compensation to them. It is in our best interest and the interest of the future generation to ban small scale mining and Community mining now. As we speak now, there are reports of babies born with strange diseases and deformities in the mining areas.
Hon.Patrick Kwame Frimpong also made reference to Citinewsroom report which says “GWCL laments cost of treating water due to ‘galamsey’ induced pollution”.The story reads. “The Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) is lamenting the cost involved in treating water bodies due to the negative impact of mining.
The company says it is currently burdened by huge sums of monies spent on chemicals to treat high turbidity levels of raw water at various extraction stations.
Addressing a gathering in Koforidua, the Communications Manager of Ghana Water Company Limited, Stanley Martey said mining has become an impediment to the operations of the company.
“The activities of illegal miners are bringing serious challenges because the chemicals used to treat the water are costly. The tariffs adjustments are not enough. The prices of the chemicals are going up and we need more of the chemicals to treat the water because of the heavy pollution and high turbidity levels.
”He added that, mining activities, illegal connections, destruction of pipelines by contractors, encroachment on distribution lines and non-payment of bills are hampering the progress of their operations.“If we are unable to treat the water, then we are forced to shut the treatment plant. The illegal connections are also not helping us; so we are appealing to the public to desist from such acts”, Stanley Martey added.
President Nana Akufo-Addo
Hon.Patrick Kwame Frimpong,KMA PM
