Africa-Press – Ghana. Mr Sam Jonah, Chancellor, University of Cape Coast, has called for the active involvement of traditional leaders and local communities in Ghana’s fight against illegal mining, popularly known as “galamsey.”
During a fireside chat with students of Wisconsin University in Accra, Mr Jonah said chiefs and community leaders must be part of decision-making in the granting of mining rights, since they directly bear the consequences of environmental degradation.
“There is no traditional leader who wants to see rivers destroyed and forests cleared without having the authority to stop it,” he said. “If licenses are given in Accra without involving chiefs, then no wonder nobody controls what happens on the ground.”
He said that the laws regulating mining in Ghana were adequate but poorly enforced, partly because communities and chiefs had been sidelined.
“It is not that we need more laws. The laws are very clear. What is missing is enforcement and the involvement of traditional leaders in the process,” he stated.
Mr Jonah also highlighted the socio-economic challenges fuelling the menace, adding that about five million Ghanaians were engaged in small-scale mining because the economy was not creating enough jobs.
For many, he said, the allure of gold worth thousands of dollars per ounce is difficult to resist.
“Unless you provide alternative jobs, telling a man not to dig his backyard when he can get an ounce of gold worth $3,500 is a tough one,” he said.
Illegal mining remains one of Ghana’s most pressing environmental challenges. It has led to the destruction of farmlands, pollution of rivers, and deforestation, despite numerous government interventions.
A recent scientific study revealed that mercury used in illegal mining has contaminated some food items, raising serious public health concerns.
Sir Jonah warned that unless jobs are created and traditional leaders empowered to regulate activities in their jurisdictions, efforts to stop illegal mining would remain futile.
He rallied African nations to chart their own development path based on their strength and stop imitating the development paradigm of other countries.
He urged the youth to embrace technology but not allow the reliance on technological tools to replace their creativity.
“Don’t drift into the future. Design it. Draw inspiration from others but calve your own path,” he told the students.
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