The Assemblies of God, Ghana has commended President John Mahama for taking a decisive step to deal with the menace of illegal mining, popularly called ‘galamsey'.

According to the group, the mining had led to the wanton destruction of the environment in many parts of the country.

The church described the appointment of a five-member inter-ministerial task force by President Mahama to address the ‘galamsey’ problem as “a step in the right direction in curbing the menace in our dear country".

“We, therefore, take the opportunity to pledge our full support to His Excellency, and to appeal to all and sundry, particularly our church members, to heed the call from the President and help in diverse ways to nib the menace in the bud,” it said in a statement signed by the General Superintendent, Rev Dr Paul Frimpong Manso.

The statement said the increasing ‘galamsey’ activities in the country had reached alarming proportions in recent times and had, therefore, become an issue of national concern in view of its negative effects on the environment, the economy and human life in general.

The statement observed that the continuous rise in the price of gold in recent times, both on the local and international markets, had attracted a lot of the youth into the ‘galamsey’ business as a source of livelihood.

Analysing the ‘galamsey’ problem from the Christian point of view, it said the creation narrative in Genesis described God as the creator and owner of all creation, including humankind.

It said God then placed man in charge of all creation and entrusted him with the responsibility of tending it, as recorded in Genesis 2:15.

“This requires conscious human effort to tend and protect the environment from abuse and degradation. Thus developing the earth’s potential and conserving its fruitfulness are twin aspects of planetary stewardship,” the statement noted.

It said in the Old Testament, the goal of Christian social action was Shalom, which implied wholeness, soundness, completeness, peace, tranquillity and general well-being of society.

“It also implies freedom from anything that undermines people’s well-being, such as wars, oppression, poverty, hunger, diseases, injustice and environmental degradation,” it noted.

The statement said in the New Testament, the goal of Christian social action was the manifestation of the Kingdom of God.

That meant the rule of God over the entire created order, including a transformation of the socio-political and economic structures and also the people to make the world a better place to live in.

“Ultimately, Christian social action should lead to a restoration of one’s relationship with God, with oneself, others in community and the environment. This portrays life in its fullness as intended by God,” it said.