Galamsey: Even if we stop today our lands will not heal in our lifetime – Inusah Fuseini
The former Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Inusah Fuseini, has charged government not to give up the fight against galamsey.
According to him, a failure to go through with the fight and successfully quashing galamsey and its devastating effects on the natural environment would cost future generations so much more.
Citing research findings, he shared that it would take close to a 100 years for lands degraded in Ghana so far as a result of galamsey to be restored to their natural state.
“It means all of us living in Ghana today might not see the return, even if we stop galamsey activities today, might not see the full return or recovery of the land in our lifetime. So we cannot give up!” he said.
His comment comes on the back of research findings by JoyNews which seem to suggest a strong link between galamsey activities and politics in the country.
According to the research, political candidates that have campaigned in mining communities where galamsey is rife, promising to do the galamseyers one favour or the other have received immense political support from the communities during election periods.
Also, monies earned from galamsey activities have been used to fund political campaigns in the country in return for political favours.
Speaking on the matter on JoyNews’ PM Express, Inusah Fuseini noted that the funding of political parties using money earned from galamsey is money laundering and there are sufficient laws in the constitution to deal with that.
However, he has called on all political parties to prioritise Ghana’s natural environment by shunning funding from galamsey kingpins and coming together to create a framework to deal with the canker permanently.
“Indeed you are privy to a conference that we held that introduced us to the effect of money in our politics, and if glamseyers are supporting political parties, then if you want evidence of money laundering it is there.
“Because galamseyers are doing an illegal activity, and any money tainted by an illegality put into the political system is laundered. That’s money laundering. So there are laws to deal with that. What I’m saying is that for the environment, for our own future, for intergenerational equity, we must be seen to be fighting this. And all political parties must agree that we have to fight this.
“There must be a template for all political parties to follow and fight it, and not use galamsey as a political score point where people can use it to score cheap political points. Other than that, we are doomed,” he said.
Source: Ghana News
