The Archdiocese of Accra and CMSR-GH urge the media, civil society organizations, and religious bodies to “amplify campaigns about the devastating consequences of galamsey, empowering communities with knowledge about the long-term effects of illegal mining.”
The petition calls for urgent action to reclaim degraded lands and restore polluted water bodies.
This effort, they say, must be led by local chiefs and conducted transparently to ensure environmental recovery.
While acknowledging the economic importance of mining in Ghana, they emphasize the need for licensed mining companies to “adopt environmentally responsible practices and adhere strictly to regulations.”
The Archdiocese of Accra and CMSR-GH call on all Presidential and Parliamentary candidates to “publicly commit to the fight against galamsey and make it a central issue in their campaigns.” They pledged to assist through prayer and educational efforts to support the campaign against illegal mining.
The document also addresses the extensive loss of agricultural land, noting that “vast stretches of arable land, cocoa farms, and other crops have been destroyed by illegal mining activities, threatening food security and economic stability for small-scale farmers.”
“How can we justify the rise in stillbirths and deformities in newborns caused by such unscrupulous and selfish enterprise?” they pose.
The Enviromental Prayer Walk started with a “Service of Preparation” at the Holy Spirit Cathedral of Accra Archdiocese before the walk through some principal streets of Accra.
Participants held placards that carried different messages on environmental stewardship while praying the Holy Rosary and asking Mary the Mother of God to intercede for the country.
In his address to the participants, Archbishop John Bonaventure Kwofie of the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra called on Catholics involved in illegal mining to abandon the vice.
