The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has criticized the five-member ad hoc ministerial committee set up by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to evaluate and address illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, as ineffective from the outset.
During an appearance on Channel One TV’s ‘I Stand Against Galamsey’ campaign, GNAT’s General Secretary, Thomas Musah, expressed skepticism, stating that the committee is unlikely to offer any fresh solutions in the battle against galamsey.
GNAT’s General Secretary, Thomas Musah, voiced his concerns during an appearance on Channel One TV’s ‘I Stand Against Galamsey’ campaign.
He argued that the committee, led by National Security Minister Albert Kan-Dapaah and supported by four other ministers, lacks the capacity to offer new solutions to the galamsey problem.
President Akufo-Addo appointed the committee on Friday, September 13, 2024. However, GNAT believes that the members, many of whom are also running in the upcoming December 7 elections, will be too occupied to make a meaningful impact on the issue.
“The constitution of the new committee by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is dead on arrival because the only new person there is the Minister for Employment and Labour Relations and these ministers will soon go and contest in their various constituencies and there is no way they will get time to get this thing done.
“In any case, the promise [to end galamsey] was made by the president and not ministers and we have gone past this stage already and therefore the invitation by the committee for us to meet them on Tuesday is a non-starter and we are asking that a state of emergency must be declared given the evidence that we have.”
GNAT also made five demands, including the following;
1. Immediately declare a state of emergency.
2. Evacuate all mining equipment from forest reserves and water bodies.
3. Revoke Law 2462 and withdraw all mining and prospecting licenses in forests, protected reserves, and water bodies.
4. Deploy Police and Military to remove and destroy all mining and earth-moving equipment in river bodies and forest reserves.
5. Establish a special court to prosecute those involved in illegal mining (Galamsey).