By Kofi Adu Domfeh
President John Mahama is on a mission to reset Ghana, emphasizing the beginning of a new opportunity to make a difference in the country’s governance and economic management.
“We shall reset Ghana,” he said in his inaugural address as the new President of the Republic. “We are a people buffeted by severe economic suffering and hardships. In the last few years, we have lurched from crisis to crisis. But there is hope.”
Ghana’s environment will perhaps be a major beneficiary if the new government succeeds with its resetting agenda.
The country’s forests and water bodies have suffered a great deal of destruction as the past government administration failed to fight the devastating activities of illegal and irresponsible mining.
Former President Akufo-Addo in his last state of the nation address acknowledged his party suffered the consequences of fighting against the illegal mining menace.
“The fight against galamsey led to the loss of several parliamentary seats by my party in the 2020 elections, which ultimately influenced the composition of the eighth Parliament. This, in turn, affected the implementation of my policy agenda and had a significant impact on my second term as President,” he said.
Ghanaian voices against illegal mining have been high and many want immediate action to stop the menace to restore the raped forests and polluted rivers and water bodies in the new government’s quest to reset the country.
As a matter of urgency, the Eco-Conscious Citizens want President Mahama to “declare a state of emergency – or issue an executive order – and remove all mining equipment and miners from our forest reserves and water bodies, and stop issuing licenses to mine in forest reserves”.
The four priority areas of President Mahama in his inaugural address did not stress on environmental sustainability, as he highlighted economic restoration and stabilisation of the macroeconomic environment; improvement of the business/investment environment to ensure Ghana’s reopening for business; governance and constitutional reforms; and accountability and the fight against corruption.
The President, however, noted “with the increase of the climate crisis, and as the waters grow warmer, melting icebergs and permafrost, there is a greater likelihood for viruses that have been frozen and thought to be extinct for decades, perhaps even centuries, to spread and create a global pandemic”.
In drawing the concern closer home, Ghanaian environmental CSOs allude to the continued decimation of forest reserves and poisoning of water bodies and soils, and the consequence of a rise in kidney disease, cancers, neurological challenges, maternal deaths, still births, and deformed babies, especially in galamsey areas.
“A healthy nation will benefit from useful reforms, but an ailing, poisoned population in need of dialysis machines cannot provide a healthy, reliable workforce, and will be a strain on the health budget,” the group noted in a statement.
Essentially in Mahama’s First 120 Days Social Contract with the People of Ghana, there is the ambitious drive to “ban illegal and new mining activities in forest reserves; roll out our ‘Tree for Life’ and ‘Blue Water Initiative’ to heal and sustainably harness the environment by turning areas and water bodies degraded by illegal mining into economic and ecological recovery hubs”.
Perhaps, the government’s quest to reset Ghana will be seen in the fight against illegal mining, protection of forest reserves and water bodies, and promotion of best environmental practices.
“We need a reset, and we have faith in Ghana’s ability to overcome, excel, and be so successful with this reset that it would be difficult to imagine a time when that was not the norm,” President Mahama has stated.
The environmental CSOs are already prevailing on the President “to consider transforming the National Cathedral grounds at Ridge, which has been described as ‘the world’s most expensive hole’, to Accra Central Park and cause trees to be planted there, as part of your Tree for Life initiative”.
