Mahama cannot say the fight against illegal mining yielded no results – Sammi Awuku
Former National Organizer for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Sammi Awuku has taken a swipe at John Dramani Mahama’s claims that government did not achieve anything with the fight against galamsey.
Sammi Awuku believes some gains were made during the fight even though the fight encountered several challenges.
“There was a whole national crusade for us to take a break from the way we were mining in this country. It took us two years before we saw some results. We saw that the water bodies became better. Someway somehow, the situation got back again. So Mr Mahama cannot say that we didn’t achieve anything when the crusade started.
In fact, Asempa FM and Multimedia at a point you were running daily commentary. We achieved some success. But why I believe we must have a policy review is that the success of the project and the advocacy we did came with its own challenges.
That is the young people and the youth were thrown out of business. When the government decided to open up gradually, the full operations of galamsey started again. So in a policy review of government like Dr Bawumia is proposing in his bold solutions I think is the best,” he said.
He continued “This time around, under Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s review and bold solutions, we will only encourage sustainable mining which will mean that we won’t allow mining in water bodies, mining that will destroy our water bodies won’t be allowed. We will open community mining to ensure that government controls how gold is mined in the country”.
What Mahama said on World Press Freedom Day
2024 World Press Freedom Day Message.
As we commemorate World Press Freedom Day 2024 under the theme “A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the Face of the Environmental Crisis,” we must consider journalism’s vital role in tackling the severe environmental challenges our nation and planet face.
Unfortunately, our media’s failure to effectively hold the government accountable for critical environmental issues such as illegal mining (galamsey), deforestation, and worsening sanitation is a matter of alarming concern.
The ongoing degradation of our water bodies and forests poses significant threats to our environment, as well as to the health and livelihoods of our communities. It is crucial that the media, with its power to expose these harmful activities, inspires society and relevant authorities into action.
As a leader committed to building the Ghana we want, I am steadfast in my commitment to fostering a stronger partnership between the government and the media. Together, we will protect our natural resources for the benefit of future generations.
Together with the media, we will aim to foster a more transparent and accountable framework that emphasises sustainable development and environmental conservation.
On this World Press Freedom Day, let us reaffirm our dedication to journalism’s crucial role in confronting the environmental crisis and shaping a better future for everyone.
Mynewsgh.com
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