ACEP advocates collective responsibility to tackle galamsey  

The Africa Centre for Energy Policy, ACEP wants efforts to deal with illegal mining to focus on the big names and prominent government officials who are allegedly behind the practice.

According to the energy think tank, one major impediment to the success of previous efforts has been the invisible powers behind illegal mining activities. 

A statement by ACEP says, some of the faces that show up in the day against "galamsey" are also the same ones that come out at night, behind the dredging of river bodies, the destruction of cocoa farms and the abandoned pits that serve as death traps in many mining communities.

According to ACEP, government must decentralize authority to traditional authorities and government officials at the district levels to make them accountable.

ACEP says it supports the emerging national consensus to deal with illegal small scale mining or galamsey in Ghana. 

A statement by ACEP said, the uncontrolled destruction of the environment for precious minerals, particularly gold, highlights a collective irresponsibility of small scale miners, chiefs, politicians, land sector agencies, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), security agencies and other relevant regulators of the sector, who look on while lives, lands, water bodies and cash crops are destroyed to the detriment of both current and unborn generations. 

It said there are ongoing efforts to respond to the President's declaration to address the challenges posed by "galamsey". 

The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources recently issued a moratorium on licensing to small scale operators and a freeze on all small scale mining activities. 

While these efforts are in the right direction, ACEP says it must be noted that similar efforts by past governments were not successful due to the complexity of the problem at hand. 

One major impediment to the success of these efforts has been the invisible powers behind illegal mining activities. 

Some of the faces that show up in the day against "galamsey" are also the same ones that are, at night, behind the dredging of river bodies, the destruction of cocoa farms and the abandoned pits that serve as death traps in many mining communities. 

The statement said if current efforts will be successful, responsibility must be placed right where it belongs. 

It said the battle against "galamsey" cannot be won if those held accountable live in Accra and are out of touch with suffering communities.

The Central Government must decentralize accountability to Chiefs, District Chief Executives, Local-level leadership of the EPA, District Commanders of the state's Security Agencies, as well as other duty bearers in the sector. 

ACEP said Civil Society groups and the general public must also provide the needed oversight to keep all duty bearers in check.

ACEP has already taken steps to ensuring that Ghana's mineral resources have transformative effects on local communities.

GBC