The Eco-Conscious Citizens, along with various environmental and civic groups, have strongly condemned the recent attack on Erastus Asare Donkor, a journalist with Luv FM, and his crew.

In a press statement, the group noted that the assault carried out by heavily armed men allegedly protecting illegal miners raises serious national security concerns.  

The assault was carried out by heavily armed men claiming to work for Edelmetallum Resources at the mining site at Asumenya, near Manso Nkran in the Ashanti Region. 

Over 10 heavily armed men forcibly abducted the team, took them to an undisclosed location, subjected them to brutal beatings, and later abandoned them.

This incident has intensified calls for the government to declare a state of emergency to tackle the escalating environmental degradation and national security concerns posed by illegal mining.

• Read also: JoyNews’ Erastus Asare Donkor and crew attacked by armed men at mining site in A/R

The Eco-Conscious Citizens decried the attack as a sign of the growing emboldened of illegal mining operators, who now appear to have private armies to defend their operations.

“We condemn the dastardly attack on Erastus Asare Donkor and his broadcast team. It is disheartening to hear that they were assaulted by heavily armed men protecting illegal miners. This raises serious national security concerns. We cannot stand idly by whilst private armies have been formed to enforce ecocide and threaten the security of the state. We cannot through Government inaction head towards a failed state."

“We have to act now - before our security concerns worsen, and God forbid, result in civil war. Also of great concern are reports of national security operatives retreating because the illegal miners have superior weaponry,” portions of the statement noted.

They urged the government, police, and military to take swift action, calling for the deployment of security forces to remove all illegal miners and mining equipment from water bodies, forests, and farmlands.

They emphasized that these illegal operations are not only destroying Ghana's natural resources but also poisoning vital water sources and contributing to long-term health risks for communities.

Additionally, they entreated the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a matter of urgency, "begin to robustly enforce the restoration obligations within its agreements with miners and also adopt the Polluter Pays principle. This is necessary to ensure the environment is reclaimed and restored after mining activity, and our Food Sovereignty and Food Chain are protected."

The release further called on Organised Labour to give the Government seven days to declare a state of emergency, failing which the national strike will resume.

Explaining that “it is clear that the revocation of L.I. 2462 can not be passed within  this Parliament without the President, Parliament or the Minister for the Environment resorting to other means within their powers.”

Again, they called on all political parties and presidential aspirants to put Ghana first and sign up to the demands below:

* The declaration of a state of emergency in line with sections 31 and 31 (4) of the 1992 constitution in order to fight the environmental terrorists.

* The repeal of  L.I. 2462 and ensuring that there is no mining or logging in protected forest reserves or globally significant biodiversity areas.

* The revocation of licences that have been granted for mining in forest reserves.

* An immediate pause to all Small-scale/Community Mining and a halt to the issuance of new licences.

* A robust and effective investigation of all persons named in Prof. Frimpong Boateng's report.