The Coordinator of Eco-Conscious Citizens, Madam Awula Serwah, has warned that illegal mining will remain difficult to defeat where traditional rulers, political authorities and the police fail to act together.
Madam Serwah argued that coordinated action at the local level could significantly disrupt illegal mining, pointing to Jema as an example of what communities can achieve when local leadership takes a firm position against the practice. She explained that the experience demonstrates that strong community mobilisation, backed by traditional and political authorities, can create an environment where illegal mining struggles to operate.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Vaultz Media Network, the Eco-Conscious Citizens Coordinator referenced Nana Enuku Annor II and Friar Dr. Joseph Kwame Blay of Jema, where she noted that they mobilised the community to resist illegal mining. According to her, such local action provides a model that could be replicated in other areas facing environmental destruction.
“If a place like Jema can do it, why can’t it be replicated throughout Ghana, or throughout all the places where there is illegal mining?”
Awula Serwah
Analysing the role of local governance, Madam Serwah argued that chiefs, political authorities and police commands possess significant influence over whether illegal mining can operate within their jurisdictions. She suggested that where these institutions adopt a common position against the practice, enforcement can become considerably more effective.
Therefore, the environmental campaigner questioned the strength of political commitment to the fight against illegal mining. She pointed to findings associated with the Professor Frimpong Boateng report and recent comments from the President concerning possible involvement of people within his administration.
The campaigner also challenged the effectiveness of operations that create an appearance of enforcement without producing lasting results. She argued that meaningful action requires sustained institutional commitment capable of preventing illegal miners from establishing themselves in communities and protected areas.
Communities Need Protection When Resisting Illegal Mining
Community participation, however, can expose residents and environmental activists to serious risks. Madam Serwah recalled the experience of activists in Atronsu who attempted to protect their cocoa farms, the Nana Atronsu stream which is also the main source of drinking water in the community, and surrounding land from illegal mining activities.
Referencing the case, she explained that some activists faced arrest after two excavators were damaged. She contrasted this with her account of illegal miners who, in her view, are rarely detained for comparable periods.
This situation can discourage communities from confronting environmental destruction. Thus, calls for citizens to combat against illegal mining should be accompanied by protection for people who take lawful action to defend their communities.
The Eco-Conscious Citizens Coordinator also linked the mining crisis to potential consequences for food and public health. She raised questions about the origins of food consumed by Ghanaians, particularly where produce may come from communities affected by illegal mining.
“Right now, we are sitting on a time bomb and it’s criminal that we are not doing what we can to solve this problem.”
Awula Serwah
Directing attention to reported health challenges, Madam Serwah referenced cancer, kidney maternal deaths and birth deformities while also citing concerns raised by scientists about food contamination in areas affected by pollution. She argued that environmental degradation should therefore be treated as an issue with consequences extending beyond forests and rivers.
This is supported by backing which she references. According to the Komfo Anokye Teaching hospital, cases have gone up to four times within the year.
The situation, she suggested, requires citizens to become more conscious of where their food and water originate. This also reinforces the need for local authorities and communities to work together before environmental damage becomes more difficult to reverse.
Atewa Forest Needs National Park Status For Stronger Protection
Madam Awula Serwah also called for the Atewa Forest Reserve to be upgraded to a National Park, arguing that its ecological importance and role in supplying water to millions of Ghanaians require stronger protection. She explained that the forest supports major river systems, provides habitat for endangered species and serves as a globally significant biodiversity area.
The Coordinator of Eco-Conscious Citizens noted that Atewa Forest was declared a forest reserve in 1926 because of its importance. A century later, she argued that its protection should be elevated to match the environmental value of the reserve.
Referencing the forest’s contribution to Ghana’s water supply, Madam Serwah identified the Birim, Ayensu and Densu rivers as major water systems originating from Atewa. She estimated that about five million Ghanaians depend on water from these river systems.
The environmental campaigner also highlighted the biodiversity found within the forest. She explained that Atewa provides habitat for endangered plants and animals, meaning destruction of the forest could eliminate the natural environment on which these species depend.
Analysing the significance of the reserve, she compared the loss of wildlife habitat to the destruction of a person’s home. Once excavators enter the forest and damage the ecosystem, species living there lose the habitat necessary for their survival.
“When we go and take excavators into the forest reserve, the species there are going to lose their habitat, their home.”
Awula Serwah
Thus, upgrading Atewa to a National Park would provide an additional layer of protection for the forest. Madam Serwah argued that the change would strengthen the legal and institutional safeguards around an area whose importance extends beyond Ghana.
Rapid Response Teams Needed Around Forest Reserves
Beyond changing the protection status of Atewa, the Eco-Conscious Citizens Coordinator called for rapid response teams to operate around forest reserves. She explained that early intervention could prevent illegal miners from moving equipment into protected areas and becoming established before authorities respond.
Community involvement would remain crucial to such a system. Residents and environmental activists who notice excavators or other mining equipment approaching protected forests could alert a designated response team before extensive damage occurs.
On this, Madam Serwah proposed a system where communities have a direct contact through which suspected illegal mining activities can be reported. The rapid response team could then intervene at an early stage and prevent miners from becoming entrenched.
Therefore, forest protection should combine stronger legal status with faster enforcement and community vigilance. The Atewa proposal, she argued, offers an opportunity to strengthen protection before environmental damage reaches a point where restoration becomes significantly harder.
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