‘Galamsey’: Leadership of Christian groups call for collaboration to fight canker

Four Christian groups have stressed the need for effective collaboration among stakeholders to fight the illegal mining menace popularly known as ‘galamsey.’ They said standing united to fight the canker was the surest way the nation would win the battle and restore the degraded environment to its original condition. They made the call after touring some ‘galamsey’ sites at Apinamang, in the Eastern Region. The groups included the Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC), Ghana Catholic Bishop Conference, and the Independent Charismatic Churches Council. The delegation was led by Bishop Dr. Paul Boafo, the Immediate Past Chairman of the Christian Council; Rev Professor Paul Frimpong-Manso, President, GPCC; Apostle Eric Nyamekye, Chairman of the Pentecost Church; Rev Cyril Fayose, General Secretary; Christian Council; Rev. Father Dieu-Donne Kofi Davor, Director of Communications, Ghana Catholic Bishop Conference, among others. The tour was to enable them to assess the level of devastation caused by ‘galamsey’ activities in the area to inform their decision. Speaking to journalists, Bishop Boafo, said as religious leaders, they were appalled by the level of destruction that activities of ‘galamsey’ had caused. He, therefore, called for a more emphatic approach to be adopted and for all stakeholders involved to enable the country to win the battle. “This is the approach we all have to go. This is the way we all have to approach this canker. it's like COVID-19, so all should come on board. Let us all come on board, ministers, market women, traditional rulers, school children, the youth, the old, and everybody,” Bishop Boafo urged. Going forward, Bishop Boafo said the Church would do its best to educate Ghanaians on the negative impact such activity had on the environment. “We will let them know that this is not the right way to go for wealth if indeed they are the people doing it. Yeah, for me, I believe that they would know better because we are the people who are to cater to creation. “In Genesis, God said, tend it, care for it, and in caring this is not the way to care for it. And I will say that this is not the right way to go for wealth and then to bring it to church,” he said. Bishop Boafo also called on the leadership to come up with policies that would address unemployment to help curb the menace. Apostle Nyamekye, Chairman of the Pentecost Church, said strong leadership was required if the country was to make any significant progress in the fight against ‘galamsey.’ He said the reason successive governments had failed to end the menace was due to a lack of political will and weak leadership. “God created human beings and he gave us leaders. Where there is no leadership, there will be no control. The human being has to be controlled. That is why we need leaders,” Apostle Nyamekye said. He added: “If leaders are not doing what they are supposed to do, then people would take the law into their own hands, you see all this corruption everywhere. So for me, I'm calling on our leaders to lead. Leaders must lead. Human beings have to be controlled, somebody will have to control these young men in their galamsey industry, somebody would have to educate them and they will stop, but where there is no leadership then things go wayward.” Rev Frimpong-Manso, President of the GPCC, who described the situation as a “total disaster,” challenged Ghanaians not to fail the future generation. “I am really overwhelmed and I need to weep, Ghanaians, we have only one Ghana. If all the systems will fail, I'm challenging anyone who is hearing me not to fail posterity because we are in a total disaster,” he said. Rev. Father Davor, Director of Communications, Ghana Catholic Bishop Conference, said drastic measures must be taken to end the canker, saying: “We cannot go on this way.” Osaberima Pinkro Oware Asare III, Apinamang Hene, called for assistance to fight the ‘galamsey’ menace in his community, saying “I am helpless.”