In recent months, the devastating environmental and social impacts of illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, have captured national attention.
As rivers are choked with sediment, water bodies are poisoned, and communities face dire health and livelihood risks, organized labour has boldly stepped forward to demand action.
Their call for a total ban on galamsey has now found strong backing from various professional bodies, particularly those within the built environment.
Engr. Henry Kwadwo Boateng, President of the Institution of Engineering and Technology, Ghana (IET-GH), has publicly aligned his institution with this crucial advocacy, urging President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and other political leaders to prioritize the country’s survival over partisan interests.
Speaking on the matter, Engr. Boateng underscored that the organized labour’s stance is not only timely but life-saving.
“The Organized Labour’s call for banning of galamsey is in the right direction. And the building professionals, the Institute of Engineering Technology, Ghana; the surveyors, the planners and the architects, we are all in support of the declaration made by the organised labour”.
Engr. Henry Kwadwo Boateng, President of the Institution of Engineering and Technology, Ghana (IET-GH)
He pointed out that illegal small-scale gold mining, mostly referred to as galamsey has led to widespread environmental degradation, with many rivers, including those relied on by the Ghana Water Company, suffering from alarmingly high levels of turbidity.
He emphasized that the rising contamination has severely affected water treatment efforts, compromising the supply of potable water across large parts of the country.
For professionals like Engr. Boateng and his peers, the implications of galamsey extend far beyond environmental concerns. It is a national crisis with ripple effects on public health, infrastructure, and even the very fabric of the economy.
He cautioned that the country cannot afford the devastating consequences of inaction, posing the stark question of how the country would cope if those tasked with delivering basic services down tools in protest.
“I cannot imagine if these essential institutions, for instance, Ghana Water Company, who have been complaining about the rising level of several rivers’ turbidity, and other essential institutions going on strike”.
Engr. Henry Kwadwo Boateng, President of the Institution of Engineering and Technology, Ghana (IET-GH)
Engr. Boateng cautioned that the potential for an organized labour strike, which could include professionals from essential service sectors, is a real threat to national stability.
“If this strike begins, It will not be well for the country”, Engr. Boateng warned, asserting that the plea is not an exaggeration but rather a wake-up call to the government and political actors, urging them to take immediate and decisive action.
Depoliticization of Galamsey Fight
Beyond his concerns for public services, Engr. Boateng also highlighted the urgency of removing political biases from the conversation.
“We don’t want a situation where presidential candidates will take advantage of this and make it politics. This is not politics. It’s a life-threatening issue that we all have to raise our voices to stop.”
Engr. Henry Kwadwo Boateng, President of the Institution of Engineering and Technology, Ghana (IET-GH)
In urging President Akufo-Addo to heed the call of organized labour, Engr. Boateng requested swift and bold leadership.
“My plea to the president is to hit the cold and do the needful,” he said, underscoring the desperation felt by many professionals witnessing the destruction of Ghana’s natural resources.
He implored the government to act now before the situation spirals further out of control, resulting in irreversible damage.
His appeal, however, was not limited to the President alone. Engr. Boateng also called on political parties across the spectrum to unite in support of this national agenda.
He expressed concern that some politicians might be tempted to politicize the issue for electoral gain. Such a move, he warned, would be disastrous.
“I also ask other political parties to support the call. This is not a political matter; it is a matter of survival,” he stressed, reiterating that the consequences of galamsey know no party affiliations or electoral cycles.
Engr. Henry Kwadwo Boateng’s voice is a powerful addition to the growing chorus of those demanding an end to galamsey.
His remarks, steeped in the technical knowledge of the built environment and grounded in a deep concern for the country’s future, offer a sharp and unyielding critique of the current state of affairs.
As the Institution of Engineering and Technology, Ghana (IET-GH) and other professional bodies throw their weight behind organized labour’s demands, the government must recognize the critical juncture at which the country stands.
It is no longer a matter of debate but a matter of survival, hence the need for the government, particularly the President to take immediate action.
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