Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams, the Founder and General Overseer of Action Chapel International, has warned that Ghana’s children and grandchildren are at risk due to the continued destruction caused by illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
Duncan-Williams stressed that illegal miners are destroying the country’s water bodies and farmlands.
Speaking at a church service on Sunday, August 16, Archbishop Duncan-Williams stated, “ So I’m going to dedicate a lot of time today for us to intercede for our nation because I’m concerned about some things. And I am not speaking as a prophet. As much as some may be prophetic, I am speaking as a student of prophecy and a student of history. I take time to study history a lot. And some things are bothering me.
And one of them is how we are managing the future of our children and our grandchildren when it comes to our water bodies, when it comes to the land that produces crops and the food we eat.
We are poisoning the land. There are so many things we are doing. If you look at the way we are running our society as a country and nation, the future is in trouble”.
He argued the effects of illegal mining should not be viewed only as a present-day problem, noting that the destruction of water bodies and agricultural land could affect generations yet unborn.
Archbishop Duncan-Williams further criticised the politicisation of efforts to enforce laws against illegal mining.
According to him, political interests have contributed to the persistence of lawlessness.
He added, “And I’ll indulge you to allow me to speak to you for some few minutes and let’s spend quality time interceding. I don’t normally do this—interceding for country. This is very, very important because of this illegal mining thing. I just remember yesterday the sheikh and what they were telling me: that the amount of illegal gold that they bought and they had records of it, but Ghana didn’t have a record of it.
The one Ghana has a record of was what the government sold. But the one Ghana didn’t have a record of was more than what Ghana sold to them, and they have all the records, and we don’t. So for whatever reason, it looks like the rules and the laws are not working, because if anybody tries to make it work and enforce the law, we turn everything to politics.
And if you don’t do what I want, next time I will not vote for you. And so because people don’t want to lose their seat in parliament or they don’t want their party to lose, they give in and allow lawlessness to continue”.
In other news, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, has admitted that Ghana’s fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, is difficult.
According to the Lands Minister, there are significant challenges facing the government’s fight against illegal mining.
He, however, stressed that the government will not relent ot surrender in the fight against galamsey.
The Lands Minister described illegal mining as one of the greatest environmental threats facing Ghana.
Speaking at the Government Accountability Series on Wednesday, July 15, the minister stated, “The fight against illegal mining is a defining environmental battle that our generation must fight. Our rivers are not for sale, our forests are not expendable, our mineral wealth is a sacred inheritance that we have a duty to protect. The era of impunity is over, and the government will continue to pursue everyone who profits from the destruction of our environment.
“The battle against illegal mining is difficult, but the Ghanaian spirit is stronger. We will not retreat, we will not relent, and we will not surrender, but we shall reclaim our rivers, restore our forests, protect our natural wealth and secure a greener, stronger and more prosperous Ghana for posterity.”
He further added that over 200 galamsey suspects have been arrested in six months.
“In the last six months, we arrested 258 suspects, demobilised six excavators, 1,225 pumping machines were seized, we demobilised 765 Changfan machines, we destroyed 35 tricycles, motorbikes that were seized were 212, structures destroyed 430, and gold detectors that were seized were 40. All these in the forest reserves alone,” Armah-Kofi Buah noted.
“And I’m happy to say that today I’m not here to tell you about red zones, because we have not had any red zone, which means that government supporting the Forestry Commission is firmly in control of our forests,” he said.
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