OccupyGhana has renewed its call for the prosecution of individuals involved in mining activities within protected areas.
The civil society organization emphasized that taking legal action against offenders would serve as a strong deterrent to others and help protect the environment, particularly in sensitive areas.
Illegal mining, known as galamsey, has gained widespread notoriety in recent months, with the practice on the rise. Several unions and associations, including the Ghana Medical Association, have joined the demand for action, calling for a three-month ban on all mining activities to curb the ongoing environmental destruction.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, September 10, OccupyGhana urged the government to take decisive steps and prosecute those caught engaging in illegal mining.
“Take Immediate Action Against Galamsey Offenders! We call for urgent legal action against persons and companies accused of illegal mining, especially in protected areas. Government inaction, especially concerning politically connected entities, has fostered impunity and undermined public trust. This must be addressed forthwith.”
“Confiscate all Galamsey Lands! We propose an amendment to the law to criminalise landowners making lands available for Galamsey. Unless a landowner can prove that their land was forcibly taken over (by having made a contemporaneous report to the police) they should be taken to have abetted the offence by facilitating it.
“These lands should therefore be confiscated as ‘tainted property’ and then repurposed for public benefit, including reforestation, farming or even regulated mining.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Water Resources Commission also made similar demands recently, calling for the enforcement of mining laws to protect Ghana’s waterbodies
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