Environmentalists petition government to show real commitment to Green Ghana

Ahead of Green Ghana Day, environmentalists and public-spirited persons are calling on the Government to show real commitment to Green Ghana by:

1. Revoking Executive Instrument (E.I.) 144 Forests (Cessation of Forest Reserve) Instrument 2022.

The E.I. removes 361.50 acres of forest from Achimota Forest Reserve, the lungs of Accra.

Existing forests must be preserved, if we are serious about climate change and Green Ghana. We cannot with one hand destroy portions of our existing forest reserves and with the other hand purport to green Ghana..

2. Pausing Community Mining. Our current monitoring and enforcement regime is weak. We are unable to effectively monitor the few big mining companies we have and cannot therefore effectively monitor numerous community mining operatives.

The unfortunate result is that community mining in many cases is destroying the environment. It is for this reason that activists in Mantukwa, Sefwi Atronsu and Apaitaim, to name a few say No to Community Mining.

3. Revoking section 3(2) of Environmental Protection (Mining In Forest Reserves) Regulations 2022 Legislative Instrument ( L.I.) 2462 which enables the President to allow mining in a globally significant biodiversity area in "the national interest".

Mining in a globally significant biodiversity area will destroy the ecosystem on which living species depend and cannot be in the national interest.

4. Holding the directors of Akonta Mining accountable for allegedly destroying portions of the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve and ensuring the company restores areas they destroyed. #PolluterPays principle must be put into practice.

5. Taking action on JoyNews' documentary 'Gold For Destruction', where persons in military attire appeared to be protecting illegal miners destroying the environment.

6. Setting up an Independent Public Enquiry into Prof. Frimpong Boateng’s report.

7. Developing the Green Economy, the value chain, health and pharmaceutical value of our forests and maximising funds from carbon sinks.

8. Looking at the real cost of mining.
The Lands Minister is reported to have said that small-scale mining fetched Ghana almost US$1.2 billion in 2022. We need to critically examine the cost of community mining and ask ourselves whether our poisoned land and water bodies, rising birth defects and kidney disease, destruction of farms and loss of livelihood of farmers whilst we pay lip service to Farmers Day, food security concerns, increased cost of purifying water and possible importation of water is worth it? Will those with kidney disease or deformities be comforted by the information that small scale mining allegedly fetched Ghana USD1.2 billion?

We have to seriously explore and implement viable alternatives to Destruction for Minerals. We face a clear and present danger with current poisoning of our land and water bodies. The time for serious action is yesterday. We cannot afford to engage in publicity stunts and gimmicks whilst our environment is being destroyed.

Over 200 individual and organisational co-signatories