Convenor of the One Ghana Movement, Senyo Hosi, has cautioned against sacrificing Ghana’s long-term future for immediate economic relief, warning that the growing temptation to justify illegal mining in the name of economic stability is dangerous.
Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express on Tuesday, August 12, Mr Hosi described galamsey as an environmental crime that threatens the nation’s survival.
“There’s always the temptation to want to balance it with the economic needs of the time. We need to hold the cedi, agree, but we cannot do that by jeopardising the future of our children and their children. We are destroying the meaning of life. Water is life,” he stressed.
He argued that while mining itself is not the problem, irresponsible and illegal mining devastates water bodies, forest reserves, and human potential. “There’s no reason why we shouldn’t mine, but there’s every reason why we must fight and bring to nought any environmental crime and illegal and irresponsible mining. We can’t be destroying our water bodies. We can’t be destroying our forest reserves, and now we are destroying families,” Mr Hosi said.
Linking his concerns to the recent military helicopter crash in the Adansi Akrofuom district that claimed the lives of two cabinet ministers and six others, he warned against letting the tragedy pass without meaningful change.
“We have tried everything; we’ve deployed soldiers, we’ve deployed policemen, and today we have rendered eight families, created over eight widows. If we let this pass by and not let it count, that will be a huge block on our own conscience as a people.”
Mr Hosi also revealed he narrowly escaped being on the ill-fated flight. “As a matter of fact, I could have been on that flight. My colleague Daryl Bosu [Deputy Director of A Rocha Ghana] and Dr Ken Ashigbey [both members of the Coalition Against Galamsey] had to go. I was not in town. What I would typically be doing is making sure I’m there.”
