Galamsey a national threat, not an economic solution– Senyo Hosi
Senyo Hosi, Convenor of the One Ghana Movement, has issued a strong warning against the growing temptation to trade the country’s immediate economic needs for the devastating long-term consequences of illegal mining, known as “galamsey.”
Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express on Tuesday, August 12, Mr. Hosi stated that such a compromise would be a dangerous mistake for the nation’s future.
“Galamsey is an environmental crime. We must see the reality of what we are dealing with.
“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.”
While acknowledging the country’s urgent economic challenges, Mr. Hosi cautioned against the temptation to prioritise short-term financial gains at the expense of the environment.
He argued that Ghana cannot afford to sacrifice its water bodies, forest reserves, and human resources for fleeting economic benefits.
“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. Our advocacy has not been that we shouldn’t mine. We should mine, but mine responsibly and legally.
“We can’t be destroying our water bodies. We can’t be destroying our forest reserves, and now we are destroying families. We are depriving this country of great human resources that could help drive and manage, and transform policy for the good of our children’s children. This cannot be made to continue.”
Mr. Hosi also connected his remarks to the tragic military helicopter crash in the Ashanti Region, which claimed the lives of two cabinet ministers and six others. President John Dramani Mahama has promised a full investigation into the incident.
“We have tried everything; we’ve deployed soldiers, we’ve deployed policemen, and today we have rendered eight families, created over eight widows, all of a sudden, and if we let this pass by and not let it count, that will be a huge block on our own conscience as a people.”
Revealing a personal connection to the incident, he shared that he narrowly avoided being on the fateful 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.”
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