Ban illegal small-scale mining or we strike – UTAG threatens

The University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) has added its voice to the urgent call to put a stop to illegal small-scale mining activities (galamsey) as it is believed to be the major cause of destruction to water bodies in the country.

According to UTAG, if the ban is not imposed by the end of this month, it will join other labour unions to embark on a strike against the government until something is done.

The association lamented that the high levels of particulate matter and toxic chemicals – such as mercury, arsenic, lead, cadmium and chromium – found in the water, soil and food in these mining regions are becoming too alarming to ignore.

This call emanates from the recent outcry from the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) that apart from the river Volta, all other water bodies used for production have been destroyed by mining activities – a trend that has increased operational costs exponentially.

Galamsey activities have severely damaged Ghana’s water bodies, forests and agricultural lands. Many civil society groups, concerned citizens and scholars have criticised the government’s efforts to combat galamsey, describing them as failed political sloganeering smeared with corruption.

The UTAG, in a statement signed by its National President – Prof. Mamudu A. Akudugu, emphasised that given the current alarming state of illegal mining with impunity, an outright ban on all forms of small-scale mining activities is the sure way to start while finding a lasting solution.

“The time for action is now. All forms of small-scale mining must be banned immediately. UTAG has taken a permanent stand against galamsey and will use every constitutionally available tool to ensure compliance because government-led initiatives like Operation Vanguard, Operation Flashout and other state-led efforts have been monumental failures. The data shows that small-scale mining has negatively affected Ghanaians; and has instead become a tool for economic empowerment for the political class, chieftaincy leaders and the elite.”

The GWCL Cape Coast – Central Regional Office – has recently lamented that the company is struggling to purify water due to the high turbidity levels, which exceed the system’s original capacity, leading to a water shortage in the locality.

The Forestry Commission (FC) has also reported the permanent destruction of over 2.5 million hectares of forest cover to mining activities recently. Again, cocoa production has declined by over 45 percent this year due to illegal mining destructions. All these factors, the UTAG recounted, necessitated its call for the ban.

“Several stakeholders have revealed that if the current trajectory continues, Ghana may be forced to import potable water within six years. Cocoa productivity, once a cornerstone of our economy, has declined by 45 percent this year. Experts estimate that illegal mining costs the economy over US$2.3billion annually. We cannot allow this to continue while we pretend to be fighting galamsey,” UTAG stated.

With the Ghana Health Service (GHS) sharing an alarming rate of 35 percent increase in respiratory diseases in mining areas recently, UTAG is concerned about the safety of children and students living in these communities.

“UTAG will join all labour unions in Ghana to act decisively to ensure the right thing is done. If this is not achieved by the end of September 2024, we will embark on a nationwide industrial action. We have taken this principled stand against galamsey because our lives depend on it. We shall not waive our demand for the complete and total ban of galamsey,” it said.