Galamsey fight: Redeem promise to put presidency on the line -250 CSOs to Akufo-Addo

Over 250 civil society organisations, environmentalists and concerned citizens, including former ministers, chiefs, academics, faith leaders, journalists, lawyers, medical practitioners and musicians, have co-signed a letter by Eco-Conscious Citizens asking H.E. Nana Akufo-Addo to redeem his 2017 promise to put his “Presidency on the line” and take immediate action on illegal mining.

Find the 250 CSOs’ open letter to President Akufo-Addo

29 2024

H.E. Nana Akufo-Addo

Excellency,

Seven years ago, you told Ghanaians that:

“There are things that we just cannot allow to happen and one of them is the heritage, the inheritance that our fathers and our grandfathers, our great grandfathers bequeathed to us – especially the space, the Ghanaian space which we all occupy.

“We have a duty to preserve it for those who are coming after us, and if our river bodies are drying up, our landscape is being desecrated, we here, leaders of our society, leaders of our nation, political leaders, traditional rulers, religious leaders – we have a responsibility to say: ‘No, this we cannot allow it to go on for our own common survival and the survival of those who are to come – If we allow it, we are jeopardising our own future’.”

Unfortunately, the situation now is far worse than it was seven years ago, and we face a clear and present danger from illegal mining. The existential threat we face has been captured in documentaries like ‘Destruction for Gold’ and ‘Poisoned for Gold’, as well as in Prof. Frimpong Boateng’s report. There are allegations that well-connected high flyers are behind the illegal mining and the ongoing environmental vandalism

In 2017 – seven years ago, you told Ghanaians that you were “prepared to put your Presidency on the line” on the matter of galamsey.

In this last year of your term as President, we the undersigned respectfully urge you to redeem your Presidency to make good your promise by taking action to protect “the Ghanaian space, which we all occupy”, to preserve our forests, landscape and water bodies for future generations.

We respectfully urge you to take immediate action by:

1. Repealing EI 144 – Achimota Forest, the lungs of Accra is one of the last remaining forests in Accra and we cannot afford to lose a part of our lungs.

2. Withdrawing L.I.2462, which allows virtually unfettered access to our forest reserves, including globally significant biodiversity areas.

3. Pausing community mining, which has caused havoc in communities, and enshrining the right of communities to reject it.

4. Protecting our wetlands, including Sakumono and the Kpeshie Lagoon.

5. Causing a Public Enquiry to be set up into Prof. Frimpong Boateng’s report.

6. Requesting the IGP to investigate all those accused of illegal mining, including the directors of Akonta Mining.

Excellency, to do otherwise as you yourself said, “would be a betrayal of the trust of the Ghanaian people” and “jeopardising our own future.”

Respectfully,