The Media Coalition against Illegal Mining [Galamsey] has announced plans to petition the two leading presidential candidates, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and John Dramani Mahama of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), urging them to publicly denounce illegal mining activities, commonly known as galamsey.

The coalition is calling for a clear and decisive stance from both candidates as the nation continues to grapple with the environmental damage caused by galamsey.

Speaking in an interview with Citi FM on Saturday, September 14, the convener of the coalition, Ing. Kenneth Ashigbey, stressed the importance of having both candidates express their disapproval of illegal mining.

He emphasised that a strong public declaration from the presidential hopefuls would demonstrate their commitment to addressing the ongoing crisis.

Ing. Ashigbey clarified that the coalition is not advocating for a complete ban on all mining activities.

Instead, it is calling for a state of emergency and the strict enforcement of Ghana's mining laws to prevent further destruction of the environment and water bodies caused by galamsey operations.

He further explained that the coalition's efforts are focused on ensuring that the country's mining laws are properly implemented, and that illegal miners are held accountable for the damage they cause.

The coalition believes that both NPP and NDC leadership must take a firm position on the issue, given the significant impact of galamsey on the nation's resources.

As part of its next steps, the Media Coalition against Galamsey intends to formally urge Dr Bawumia and Mr Mahama to openly declare their stance against illegal mining.

The coalition hopes that this move will encourage stronger political commitment to tackling the menace, particularly ahead of the 2024 general elections.

“The Media Coalition Against Galamsey is not calling for a ban. We are calling for a declaration of a state of emergency and enforcing the laws that we have. The NDC and the NPP sat in Parliament and passed LI 2462 and if you see the people who have been given these permits to go into the forest reserves, we are saying this LI should be revoked and it is the President who can revoke the LI by replacing it with a new LI and if you don’t do that, you will not be able to resolve the problem."

“To deal with the issue of politicisation, we are going to be calling on the current Vice President, and the former president [John Dramani Mahama], who is the presidential candidate for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), to also openly declare their revulsion for what is happening and their support for the crisis efforts," he said.