Walk against galamsey hijacked by political elements - Archbishop Bonaventure Kwofie

Archbishop Bonaventure Kwofie, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra, has alleged that a planned environmental walk by the clergy has been hijacked by political elements.

According to him, the walk, which aims to raise awareness about illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, has been overtaken by political parties seeking electoral gains.

In a media interview, he remarked, "The Accra Archdiocese is organizing this environmental prayer walk against galamsey. It is being hijacked by some political elements, turning it into a Catholic Bishops' Conference action, which we do not support. Additionally, we are not aligned with the organised labour strike."

He further emphasized, "The galamsey issue is not a political matter but an environmental, social, community, industrial, and labour issue with wide-reaching effects. Approximately four million people are involved in galamsey, either directly or indirectly."

The Catholic Archdiocese of Accra, in collaboration with the Conference of Major Superiors of Religious, Ghana, and the Catholic Lay Faithful and Professionals, is set to lead an Environmental Prayer Protest Walk Against Galamsey on Friday, October 11, 2024.

A press statement issued by the church on Friday, October 4, explained that the protest seeks to raise awareness about the devastating impact of illegal mining in Ghana and call for urgent government intervention to end this menace.

The primary goal of the protest is to advocate for the declaration of a state of emergency on mining activities, particularly in areas surrounding water bodies, riverbanks, and forest reserves.

AM/OGB

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