Pastors chant to galamsey sites

Christian leaders across the country have, this mourning, called for an emergency press conference to address the nation on the true state of illegal gold mining and its devastating consequences after which they would present a petition on the subject matter to President Nana Akufo-Addo.

They demand an immediate and genuine-hearted solution to stop illegal mining with a sense of urgency.

The Christian clergy, last Friday, toured a number of illegal mining sites dotted across the Eastern Region and they were seen during the tour, chanting patriotic songs while punching clenched fists skywards and at other times, they were seen praying fervently for the protection of the country’s forest reserves and water bodies being destroyed by the activities of small scale illegal gold miners.

“We wish to remind Ghanaians of our mandate to keep the environment and be responsible stewards of same,” the General Secretary of the Christian Council, Rev Dr. Cyril Fayose noted in a statement he signed for and on behalf of the Ecumenical Leaders

The statement noted further: “The leadership of the Christian Ecumenical Bodies in Ghana is deeply concerned about the devastation that illegal mining (galamsey) has caused our nation, and the negative health and economic effect it will have on our country’s future. We wish to remind Ghanaians of our mandate to keep the environment and be responsible stewards of same (Genesis 2:15).

“In view of this, the Ecumenical Leaders will hold a Press Conference to address the issue of galamsey and present a petition to the President of our nation.”

The Christian leaders, during the tour last Friday, explained that it was meant to be a fact-finding mission to equip them with first hand information on the exact happenings at illegal gold mining sites and its practical effects.

The tour had highly respected church leaders including Chairman of The Church of Pentecost and 2nd Vice Chairman of the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC), Apostle Eric Nyamekye, the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church Ghana, Most Rev Dr Paul Boafo and the immediate-past Chairman of the Christian Council of Ghana, Rev. Prof. Paul Frimpong Manso who is also the President of the GPCC.

Apart from the above names, the delegation also comprised of Rev. Cyril Fayose, General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, Apostle A.N.Y. Kumi-Larbi, General Secretary of The Church of Pentecost, Apostle Eric Kingsley Darko, Vice President, Council for Independent Churches, Apostle Samuel Antwi, Executive Council Member of The Church of Pentecost and Former GPCC General Secretary, ministers from The Church of Pentecost, Apostolic Church- Ghana and the Deeper Life Bible Church.

Addressing the press, Bishop Dr. Paul Boafo reminded Christians in Ghana about the duty they have to take care of God’s creation and ensure that people living on the earth prosper.

He called on all stakeholders (chiefs, government, church, institution etc.) to come on board in order to seek a non-partisan and lasting solution to the galamsey endemic.

“This is a collective fight, and all Ghanaians should come on board and let’s fight galamsey. We need to adopt a non-partisan approach in dealing with this problem, just as we did with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rev. Paul Frimpong, on his part, called on all responsible governmental agencies to rise and act in order to save the dire situation.

“My heart is burning. This is an absolute disaster and disgrace to the country. We must not entertain any political party that supports galamsey,” he said.

Father Dieudonne Davor, who represented the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference, at the tour, said that the alarming rate of the destruction calls for an urgent action, and therefore, reiterated that government must not relent in its effort to clamp down on the activities of illegal miners.

Dr. George Manful, an environmentalist, retired diplomat and Environmental advisor to the Assemblies of God Church, expressed disbelief at the unimaginable proportions of destruction caused by the activities of illegal miners, describing it as “environmental rape.”

“I have followed the issue of galamsey for quite a long time. Formerly, the perpetuators used to mine with pickaxes, now they are using excavators! This tells how much the practice has escalated,” he said.

“A Complex Problem”

Apostle Eric Nyamekye bemoaned the lack of political will in the fight against the galamsey threat.

“We have all the environmental laws on paper, what we lack is the will to enforce them. Leaders must lead, they must enforce laws otherwise human beings, by their nature, will always go way ward,” he stated.

He said that the complex nature of the issue calls for a multifaceted approach in coming up with an effective intervention to address illegal mining in the country.

He, however, stated that “Galamsey is a human problem so human beings can solve it. We should not leave to the politicians; all stakeholders must come together to fix it.