Ghana Integrity Initiative urges political class to crack the whip on illegal miners

The Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) has admonished the political class to crack the whip on persons engaged in illegal mining.

Its Executive Director, Mary Addah on the sidelines of a conference in Accra said the lack of sanction is a contributory factor for which people engage in the activity with impunity. This was during the launch and inception meeting on strengthening climate governance through social accountability and citizen’s oversight in local climate project.

Civil society organizations, some labour groups and other individuals have called for a ban on small scale and illegal mining in the country to save the country’s water bodies. The Ghana Integrity Initiative’s Executive Director, Mary Addah noted that the problem has to do with the lack of political will and sanctions.

“It is an issue of lack of knowledge, but it is also an issue of lack of compliance and sanctioning. The fact that corruption continues to breed some of these behaviours is an issue of lack of political will. If our politicians or those we have given power to, according to the constitution in article 1:1 which says that the power belongs to the citizens and for whom they have given that power to a president to lead us. If the president so wishes, the fight will be an exhaustive one.” Mary Addah expressed.

Despite several calls for government to declare a state of emergency in galamsey prone areas, the President, Nana Akuffo-Addo is yet to comment on the menace. Meanwhile, stakeholders at a climate launch and inception meeting stressed the need for grassroot participation on issues of climate change for better formulation of policies.

“I will want to see how we pick the issues right from the grassroot level and then bring it up to the district level then it can be taken up at the national level. What we are rather seeing is that the discussion is rather coming from the Accra level then it is pushed down to the district level and are told to do this and that when in actual fact it might not be their felt need or what they need.” Daryl Bosu, executive director for A Rocha Ghana stated.

Mary Addah also wants complex issues on climate change to be made simple and address corruption related issues in the sector.

“GII is particularly interested in engaging citizens across specific districts to ensure that we identify these gaps, the corruption risk factors, the gaps that hinder or humper the engagement of citizens in this climate discourse.” Mary Addah further explained.

The post Ghana Integrity Initiative urges political class to crack the whip on illegal miners first appeared on 3News.

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