28th GJA Awards: Dwumfour Challenges Akufo Addo to Fulfil His Galamsey Promise
President of the Ghana Journalists Association Albert Kwabena Dwumfour has challenged President Akufo Addo fulfil his promise to fight galamsey in the country.
President Akufo Addo on July 11, 2017 had said that “I am prepared to put my presidency on the line to fight galamsey”.
But the fire brand GJA President believes that commitment appears to be a hoax owing to how widespread the galamsey issue has become.
Mr. Dwumfour was speaking at the 28th GJA Awards held in Accra on Saturday (September 28, 2024).
“We are aware that some time ago, Mr. President made a firm vow to stop galamsey, but regrettably, that promise has not been fulfilled. Mr. President, you have barely three months until the end of the administration, and we are hopeful that you will deal with the situation before you leave office”, he emphasized.
He expressed worry over how all our water bodies have turned dark brown causing health risks to people whose only source of water is those contaminated water bodies.
“Naa Chairman, illegal mining, commonly referred to as Galamsey, is currently a topical issue in the country due to its devastating effects on the environment, particularly our water bodies, which serve as major sources of drinking water. Galamsey has wreaked havoc on our environment and all our water bodies. As a Ghanaian, it saddens me to see once-clean bodies of water turn a dark brown color. This is shameful, and we must all, as Ghanaians, wage a war against galamsey”, Mr. Dwumfour stressed
“…It will be recalled that a few weeks ago, the GJA organized a press conference to call for an end to Galamsey in cooperation with the Coalition of Media Against Galamsey and civil society organizations”
He called for strict enforcement of all mining laws and regulations without any concessions, as well as the imposition of maximum sentences on offenders adding that this is a reliable approach to addressing this issue.
The GJA President reiterated his call for state of emergency over our water bodies maintaining that all planned and active mining concessions overlapping with river buffers should be abrogated and all mining activities within 50 meters buffer of all rivers and streams should be halted with immediate effect.
“We also reiterate that LI 2462 should be repealed immediately”, he added.
He called on government, the Police and the judiciary to immediately release the Democracy Hub demonstrators whom he said were exercising their democratic rights in protest of a national cancer.
The 28th GJA Awards which saw Edward Adeti winning the coveted Journalist of the year, was under the theme : “75 Years of Excellence in Journalism: The Role of the Media in Democratic Governance and Elections,”
Source:newsflashafrica.com
