Environmentally aligned youth groups, such as A Rocha Ghana, Youth Alliance for Green Ghana, Ignite Youth Network Ghana, Youth Climate Council Ghana, and others, have described the government’s Green Ghana Day as useless if illegal mining [Galamsey] is not stopped.
The groups expressed dissatisfaction about how illegal mining activities have destroyed water bodies and the environment.
According to them, illegal activities (galamsey) have destroyed the water bodies and the forest, which has recently resulted in a high rate of non-communicable diseases among the youth.
Therefore, they are calling on the government to find a long-lasting solution to this menace to protect and preserve the forest and water bodies for generations yet unborn.
Addressing journalists in Accra, the National Director for the Youth Alliance for Green Ghana, Mr. Kenneth Agyir, noted that Galamsey is not only polluting our water bodies and farmlands but also poses a serious threat to the health and well-being of the good people of this country, with its accompanying damages to the environment transcending generations.
He said the one-day set aside to celebrate Green Ghana Day is not helpful since there are a series of challenges hovering around the environment; hence, the government must extend the one-day to be able to resolve some environmental challenges.
The group also called on the government to enforce the laws that regulate mining activities in the country and crack the whip on those who flout them, even with people within the government, in demonstration of its real commitment to the greening Ghana agenda.
He seized the opportunity to call on Ghanaians to work together to protect our environment in order to secure a sustainable future for generations yet unborn.
“We must also support and collaborate with organization and all stakeholders who are working assiduously to protect the environment for our collective benefit. We need to join forces and form strong networks that can drive united action towards addressing the environmental crisis that has befallen us.”