Reintroduce Agyapa Royalties In The Galamsey Fight- Renowned Lecturer To Akufo-Addo
Renowned Lecturer at the Kumasi Technical University (KSTU), Mr. Ishaq Kyei-Brobbey, has suggested to President Akufo-Addo to reintroduce the Agyapa royalties in the quest to fight the illegal mining.
He said that, government must raise money to participate in the industry by investing in the sector and partner local small scale miners in leading responsible mining.
Mr. Kyei Brobbey told Oheneba Nana Asiedu on Wontumi Morning Show which was carried on Radio and TV that it will create jobs for the trained Geologists, Mining Engineers, Managers and other Miners.
“By employing people, there will potentially be less people involving themselves in illegal mining, so as to save our lands, forests, river bodies, children, stem mining related diseases and hazards against human existence,” he said.
The KSTU lecturer also called on the Attorney General and Minister of Justice to review and introduce new mining laws to deal with the Galamsey menace and to streamline the licensing regime to make it easier for people to acquire mining documents to do legal and responsible mining.
Mr. Kyei Brobbey stressed that, Ghanaians are aware of the consequences of the galamsey.
He explained that the galamsey is destroying the cocoa farms.
” We are losing 30% of our forest cover every year because of galamsey. It’s destroying our forest reserves,” he said.
The KSTU lecturer stressed that, the cost of mining is $500 million – $1 billion.
“Research has it that pregnant women in the galamsey areas suffer miscarriages because of the unhygienic water they drink,” Mr. Kyei Brobbey lamented bitterly.