Inusah Fuseini, a former minister of lands and natural resources, has warned that Ghana’s main export, cocoa, may be prohibited due to the dangers of illicit mining (also known as “galamsey”).
He claims that dangerous compounds, such as mercury, have been discovered in cocoa beans as a result of “galamsey” activities, making them unfit for human consumption.
“Galamseyers are currently ruining the economic foundation of the nation with their activities in addition to damaging our environment. I trust you are aware that the European Union (EU) has stated that our cocoa contains traces of mercury. In an interview with Neat FM that countryghana listened to, he stated in Twi, “It is striking at the backbone of the economy.”
The threat of “galamsey,” according to Fuseini, a former member of parliament for Tamale Central, must be recognized as a threat to Ghana’s survival, and strong action must be taken to stop it.
“Even if we stop using galamsey right once, it will take close to a century for the environment, particularly the water bodies, to fully recover. The harm to the environment is this. This is why similar actions by individuals that harm the ecosystem are considered crimes against the environment and are dealt with accordingly elsewhere,” he said.
He added that the government’s present strategy for combating the threat is ineffective since it is not comprehensive enough.
“That is why I told Nana Addo that he was making a mistake when he said he is outrightly banning ‘galamsey’. When the second attempt was done, I told them that it must be a multi-stakeholder. A lot of people must be part of the fight,” he said.
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