'Galamsey' menace : GBA wants government to deal with powerful sponsors

The Ghana Bar Association has waded into the raging discussions relative to the ‘galamsey’ menace which is gradually destroying Ghana’s forests and water bodies.

Even though successive governments have in one way or another other dissipated resources into dealing with the menace, all the efforts have yielded little or no results.

However, Speaking at the 2022 Annual Bar Conference at Ho, the President of the Ghana Bar Association, Yaw Acheampong Boafo noted that the menace cannot be dealt with in a perfunctory manner where only the laborers end up being arrested leaving the sponsors to go scot-free.

“We cannot deal with this menace in a perfunctory manner where hired laborers are arrested and prosecuted for engaging in illegal mining, whilst the powerful sponsors of “galamsey” are not dealt with.”

He said that the constitution of the Republic per Article 17 makes everyone equal before the law thus noted that the time has come for action involving everyone involved in galamsey irrespective of their status or affiliations to political parties.

Mr. Boafo further described as worrying, the resurfacing in Ghana under a false identity, the Chinese ‘galamsey queen” Aisha Huang which attempt he deems ridicule of government efforts in dealing with the menace.

On behalf of the GBA, he welcomed and finds refreshing the statement by the Attorney-General to prosecute her and her accomplices for past and present crimes, which would go a long way to restoring some integrity to the “galamsey” fight by the State.

Additionally, the GBA president reiterated that it is time for foreigners to take our nation and our laws more seriously because that makes us truly sovereign.

“The GBA, however, welcomes and finds it refreshing the statement and promise by the Attorney-General to prosecute her and her accomplices for past and present crimes, which would go a long way to restoring some integrity to the “galamsey” fight by the State. The time has come for foreigners to take our nation and our laws more seriously. That makes us truly sovereign!”