The General Secretary of the Ghana Mine Workers Union, Abdul-Moomin Gbana, has reiterated the union’s determination to proceed with its nationwide strike unless President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo declares a state of emergency targeting illegal mining (galamsey) particularly in forest reserves and water bodies.
Organised Labour is planning to embark on a nationwide strike from Thursday, October 10, following the government’s failure to address the galamsey menace.
Speaking on Eyewitness News on Monday, Gbana emphasised that the union will only back down if concrete action is taken to address the environmental destruction caused by galamsey.
“Declare a state of emergency, and let me be more specific, declare a state of emergency targeting our forest reserves and mining in our river bodies. Once that declaration is made, it means that the president who is the Commander-In-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces, would direct the military to take charge of the forest reserves of this country and over all our water bodies.”
“In that way, we are very confident that once that command and control is clear, the military will do justice to the command given by the president and once that happens, all the other issues will become a matter of calls. The issues of having the mining equipment pulled out these mining areas, will be done. All these galamseyers who are causing this mess will also be dragged out of our forest,” he stated.
