The Knights of St. John International and Ladies’ Auxiliary has urged government to move beyond rhetoric and take bold, decisive action to end illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
They appealed to President John Dramani Mahama to adopt proposals already advanced by the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference, other religious bodies, civil society groups, and academia including calls for a state of emergency in the hardest-hit areas rather than limiting the fight to consultations and dialogue.
Speaking to the media at the 12th Biennial Supreme Subordinate Convention in Kumasi, Major General William Edmund Adjei, Supreme Subordinate Commandery President of the Knights of St. John International, said the country has moved past the point of dialogue.
“Where we are now in the fight against galamsey, it is not about talk, it is about action. And I do not believe anyone in government is unaware of what must be done. Do we really need another meeting to know the next steps? I only pray this initiative will not become another talk show. What Ghana needs now is action, not words,” he stressed.
He emphasized that while advocacy is vital, it must be relentless and backed by sustained pressure to achieve lasting results.
“You don’t stop until the evil stops. Issuing one statement is not enough, you must keep pushing until galamsey is truly defeated. Just drive across the country and see the state of our rivers and water bodies. We are the ones suffering, and our children will pay an even heavier price if we fail to act,” he warned.
Major General Adjei lamented the widespread destruction of Ghana’s water resources and called for urgent, uncompromising measures to save the environment for future generations.
