The Federation of Associations of Ghanaian Exporters (FAGE), has added its voice to the calls by various organised labour associations demanding urgent action against illegal mining (galamsey) activities.
The association lamented the heightened rate of destruction to natural resources in the environment including natural vegetation, forest reserves, water resources, and habitats for mammals, reptiles and aquatic life.
The FAGE has therefore urged the government to as a matter of urgency ban all illegal mining activities and freeze small scale mining prospecting activities.
The association also seeks the prosecution of persons whose involvement in illegal mining activities has contributed to environmental pollution in the country.
FAGE demanded immediate government action to halt the destruction of the environment and restore the country’s natural resources.
The uncontrolled surge in galamsey activities in the Ashanti, Eastern, Central, Western and Western North regions have far-reaching and potentially irreversible consequences. These include severe threats to national food and water security, unprecedented biodiversity loss, destruction of agricultural lands, and impoverishment of hundreds of thousands of Ghanaians who depend on farming and ecosystem services for their livelihoods.
Fage in a press statement signed by its President, Davies Korboe, is calling for swift and decisive action from the government, including an immediate halt of small-scale mining activities, deployment of security forces to affected areas, and redirection of the labour force towards alternative productive employment in agribusiness and manufacturing.
The federation also demands funding for bioremediation strategies to restore damaged environments and prosecution of individuals whose negligence has contributed to the environmental devastation.
“The Federation of Associations of Ghanaian Exporters is deeply alarmed by the uncontrolled surge of illegal mining activities ravaging Ghana’s Ashanti, Eastern, and Western Regions, particularly in the critical Birimian and Tarkwaian basins.
“The future of our nation hangs in the balance. We urge the government to take immediate action to save our land, water, and people’s sustainable livelihoods,” he stated.
The issue of illegal mining has been a long-standing concern in Ghana, with many calling for stronger measures to address the problem. FAGE’s involvement adds to the growing chorus of voices demanding action from the government. Within the last 14 days, over a decade labour organisation have issued various press statements and held stakeholder engagements to drum up their grievances and concerns about the menace.
Fage highlighted the need for immediate funding for renewable natural resources researchers and ecologists at Ghana’s leading universities to execute bioremediation strategies to restore our damaged environment.
“We call upon all political parties to review, publish, and commit to sign a performance contract with the Ghanaian people, outlining their commitment and strategies to combat illegal mining effectively,” he stressed.
