The Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Joseph Whittal, has stated that, President Akufo-Addo has disappointed Ghanaians in the fight to combat illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey.
In an interview with BBC, the CHRAJ boss criticized President Akufo-Addo’s failure to combat the illegal mining menace which has had severe environmental and health consequences for the country.
“The Commission feels so disappointed in the fight against galamsey and artisanal mining. We are disappointed that no less a person than the President would put his presidency on the line.
“He promised. Presidents don’t promise and fail on their promises. For what has happened which has dire implications on the health of so many Ghanaians, I must say, the government and the President have disappointed Ghanaians,” he said.
Whittal further endorsed calls for the declaration of a state of emergency in response to the galamsey crisis, citing the urgency of the situation.
“I have heard some people call on the President to declare a state of emergency and I actually subscribe to that. Why wait? If you look at the pollution and the effects it is already having…it appears the government seems unconcerned and is ignoring all these worrying trends. I don’t understand,” he said.
“If you win the people’s vote, you are supposed to work for them. So this is a disappointment from the government and from the President, who has a lot of human rights credentials. He should do something before leaving power,” he noted
