Alan Kyerematen, the presidential candidate for the Alliance for Revolutionary Change Alliance, has unveiled a comprehensive 10-point plan to tackle Ghana’s illegal mining crisis, known locally as Galamsey.
This ambitious blueprint, presented at the Ghana International Press Centre, acknowledges the devastating impact of Galamsey on Ghana’s environment and economy.
Kyerematen describes Galamsey as an existential threat” to Ghana, highlighting the widespread destruction of water bodies, forest reserves, and farmlands. He attributes this devastation to decades of poor governance and policy failure by both the NPP and NDC governments.
“The two dominant political parties have demonstrated that they neither have the competence, desire, nor political will to address Galamsey,” he said.
Alan Kyerematen’s plan is a one-year complete ban on all small-scale and community mining activities, both legal and illegal. This moratorium, he explained, would provide a necessary pause to assess and reset the country’s mining practices.
The ban would be coupled with demobilizing all mining machinery, which would be inventoried and stored by the military’s 48 Engineer’s Regiment.
Alan Kyerematen’s plan also calls for an aggressive restoration campaign. During the one-year ban, efforts will be made to restore Ghana’s degraded river bodies and farmlands. The Water Resources Commission, Environmental Protection Agency, and other relevant agencies will oversee this massive environmental clean-up effort.
The forestry sector will lead a plantation development initiative to rejuvenate damaged ecosystems, ensuring the land is fully restored before mining activities can resume.
Another bold move in Mr. Kyerematen’s proposal is the cancellation of all small-scale mining licenses issued in the past 15 years. According to him, a comprehensive audit of these licenses is necessary to uncover corruption, illegal issuance, and non-compliance with mining regulations. “We must correct the errors of the past to build a sustainable future.”
Alan Kyerematen’s vision for Ghana’s mining industry is centered around responsible practices. His 10-point plan includes the Youth in Responsible Mining Initiative, which aims to transform young people involved in illegal mining (Galamsey) into legal, environmentally-conscious miners.
This initiative provides youth-owned companies with seed funding, equipment, concessions, and managerial support to operate sustainable mining ventures.
These youth-owned companies will receive seed funding, mining equipment, concession and managerial and technical support from the government, allowing them to operate commercially viable, sustainable mining ventures on work-and-pay basis.
Alan also proposed the establishment of Citizens Mining Protection Rights Groups in mining communities. These watchdogs would ensure that all mining activities are conducted responsibly, with local communities playing an active role in monitoring compliance with environmental standards and regulations.
One of the most hard-hitting aspects of the 10-point plan is Mr. Kyerematen’s proposed legislation that would impose life imprisonment for those found guilty of mining in river bodies or forest reserves. He stressed that the stakes are too high to allow leniency in such cases, insisting that only stringent measures will deter future illegal mining when a comprehensive legal pathway has been created for responsible legal mining.
Alan Kyerematen underscored that this short-term strategy is only part of a broader vision encapsulated in his Great Transformational Plan (GTP). Over the medium to long term, his government would undertake a comprehensive review of all legislation governing natural resource management, streamline regulatory agencies, and enhance local content in mining operations. His ultimate goal is to transform Ghana into a mineral processing hub for West Africa.
Alan Kyerematen is confident that Ghana can overcome the Galamsey crisis and restore its natural environment with this 10-point plan.
Source: oyerepafmonline.com/Bernard K Dadzie/Greater Accra Region
