Pre-tertiary teacher union joins calls for the gov’t to end Galamsey

The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has joined the campaign for the central government to immediately halt operations of illegal mining activities, popularly known as galamsey in the country.

The pre-tertiary teacher union (GNAT) among other demands has urged the government to Immediately declare a state of emergency and evacuate all mining equipment from forest reserves and water bodies.

The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has also asked the government to revoke Law 2462 and withdraw all mining and prospecting licenses in forests, protected reserves, and water bodies in the country.

The teacher union as part of effective measures to end the illegal mining activities has urged the government to deploy Police and Military to remove and destroy all mining and earth-moving equipment in river bodies and forest reserves.

Speaking on Channel One TV’s ‘I Stand Against Galamsey’ campaign, GNAT’s General Secretary, Thomas Musah said there is nothing new that the five-member ad hoc ministerial committee established by President Akufo-Addo will bring to the galamsey fight.

“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,” Musah told Channel One TV.

GNAT’s demands come after President Akufo-Addo set up a five-member ad hoc ministerial committee to engage stakeholders to assess the government’s efforts to deal with illegal mining activities, popularly known as galamsey.

The Minister of Infomation Fatimatu Abubakar in a statement issued on Friday, September 13, said the National Security Minister, Albert Kan-Dapaah, will be the chairman of the committee to be assisted by four other ministers.

Members of the committee are National Security Minister Albert Kan-Dapaah, Natural Resources Minister Samuel Abu Jinapor, Defense Minister Dominic Nitiwul, Employment Minister Ignatius Baffour Awuah, and Information Minister Fatima Abubakar as members.

In a related development, the Coalition Against Galamsey is asking President John Dramani Mahama to declare a state of emergency in areas badly affected by illegal mining.

According to the Convenor of the Coalition, Dr Kenneth Ashigbey, the situation has gone beyond control and requires urgent action to save lives and protect the environment.

He explained that the Constitution allows a state of emergency to be declared when the actions of criminals threaten essential resources such as water, safety, and the survival of communities.

Dr Ashigbey said illegal miners were destroying water bodies and depriving large communities of clean drinking water, which is an “essential of life.”

The Coalition insisted that declaring a state of emergency was no longer a last resort but an immediate step needed to save Ghanaians and protect the future of the country.