An agricultural group which has keen interest in cocoa, has made a passionate call on the government of Ghana to place a twelve-month hold on all mining activities in the country, to check and sustain cocoa growing lands.
According to the group called Coalition for Cocoa Sector Reforms (CCSR), miners are consciously acquiring cultivated lands, forests, living quarters and water bodies to destroy and turn them into mining sites. Farmers agree to sell their farm lands because the illegal miners have been proposing huge amounts of money.
”Today, due to the deteriorating living conditions of cocoa farmers caused by the galamsey activities, farmers under compelling circumstances sell out their cocoa farms to illegal small-scale mining (galamsey) operators”, – CCSR.
The cocoa reform group further alleged that various bodies and organisations who are responsible to checking such activities express innocence of these acts.
”The Forestry Commission, Minerals Commission, and our chiefs are all expressing innocence in face of the menace”, – CCSR blames.
RECOMMENDATIONS BY COALITION FOR COCOA SECTOR REFORMS (CCSR)
- Government must issue one year moratorium for the cessation of all mining activities be it large-scale, small-scale mining, or illegal mining activities in Ghana as a show of seriousness for the fight against galamsey.
- The Minerals Commission must carry out an assessment of permits and concession lands of a license holder for publication. All degraded lands and withdraw licenses of entities falling foul of standard mining practice.
- Prosecute and fine all companies that carried out their activities without reclamation and without requisite permit.
- Educate and empower Chiefs, District Assemblies, and Community Members to monitor and safeguard the re-entry of the illegal activities in their areas of jurisdictions.
According to experts, farmers are at the disadvantage of losing their homes should the current trend of mining (Galamsey) in cocoa growing areas continues.
