Some pupils of the Accra College of Education Demonstration School have called on President Akufo-Addo to focus on curbing illegal mining also known as galamsey rather than focusing on campaigning for the upcoming election.

One of the pupils, Yayra Naa Lartieokor Attoh, said the current system has failed to tackle the galamsey menace considering that the government has been in power for close to eight years.

Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, Miss Attoh said, “Last month, the problem was smuggling and now it is galamsey. All these apply to us and the people that are not from our country so I say to the President, please, when are you going to fix this and stop your election thing.”

Also speaking on the same show, another student from the Accra College of Education Demonstration School, Mitchell Oware expressed his optimism about the country’s ability to minimize galamsey activities in the country.

He emphasized proper law enforcement as an effective way to eradicate the galamsey menace.

“I think that in every dark tunnel, the ending has a light so I think that as we go forward as a country if we decide that we are going to start enforcing our laws properly, I believe that we could if not eradicate it, I believe that we could reduce the impact it’s going to have on us,” he said.

He then called on all leaders to arise and help to eradicate galamsey.

He warned that the leaders would be affected by the effects of galamsey in the future hence should be a matter of concern to them.

“To our leaders, as you grow old, do not think that you are exonerated from whatever problems may come in the future, because the future of galamsey and the effects [are] not too distant.

You may think that you may be dead and gone by the time [they catch] up with you in the cities, in your big houses, in your offices but you are not exonerated from the problems,” he said.

Mr Oware also called on the chiefs to re-think their decision to give out lands for illegal mining.

He called for research to be done by the chiefs to assess the impact of galamsey on their communities and vegetation.

“To the chiefs in the communities that give land to people to operate on these lands, to those chiefs I say, you should do your research, find out what exactly is going to happen to that land whether you would be able to replenish the land, whether you would be able to practice re-afforestation and see whether what you are doing is rather going to benefit the community instead of destroying the community,” he cautioned.

The pupils were speaking as part of the Multimedia Group's partnership with the Safari Valley Eco-Park to launch an educational initiative to instill a deep environmental appreciation into the younger generation.

The joint initiative is aimed at combating illegal mining and promoting environmental conservation by encouraging the younger generation to protect their natural surroundings.

The plan is to start with education, targeting children from the age of six up to tertiary institutions. The goal is to ensure that every child in the country visits Safari Eco Park.

Conversations on galamsey and its dire impact arose after the management of Ghana Water Company Limited in the Central Region announced that there would be challenges with water supply in Cape Coast, Elmina, and surrounding communities.

Read also: GWL warns of severe water supply challenges in Cape Coast and Elmina due to ‘galamsey’ in River Pra

The company revealed that the recent demand-supply gap is due to inadequate raw water received at the Sekyere Hemang Water Treatment Plant (WTP) caused by galamsey activities.

Environmental groups, civil society organizations, and concerned citizens have since voiced their frustrations over the lack of significant progress in curbing galamsey activities, which have resulted in rivers' contamination, farmlands' destruction, and loss of livelihoods for many Ghanaians.