Galamsey: UTAG calls for immediate ban on mining, prospecting for minerals in forest reserves

The University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) has added its voice to the fight against illegal mining, commonly referred to as galamsey, and general mining in forest reserves, which has devastated Ghana’s water bodies, forests, and agricultural lands.

(UTAG) has joined the chorus of voices calling for a total ban on illegal mining, known as galamsey, citing its devastating impact on the country’s water bodies, forests, and agricultural lands, and warning of a nationwide industrial action if the government fails to take swift action.

UTAG is calling for a total ban on galamsey, citing the alarming state of illegal mining in the country, which has led to a decline in cocoa productivity by 45% this year, and costs the economy $2.3 billion annually.

The association notes that the Forestry Commission reports that over 2.5 million hectares of forest cover have been permanently destroyed, while the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has identified a 35% rise in respiratory diseases in mining areas.

UTAG’s National President, Professor Mamudu A. Akudugu, and local presidents of the eight traditional universities in Ghana, signed a press release on Monday, September 9, 2024, calling for swift action to address the issue.

The association argues that government-led initiatives like Operation Vanguard and Operation Flashout have been monumental failures, and that small-scale mining has negatively affected Ghanaians, instead evolving into a tool for economic empowerment for the political class, chieftaincy leaders, and the elite.

UTAG is urging the Ghanaian people to support the call for a complete ban on mining in forest reserves, farms, and water bodies, and warns that it will join all labour unions in Ghana to embark on a nationwide industrial action if the demand is not met by the end of September 2024.

Source: Ghana/otecfmghana.com/Jacob Agyenim Boateng