Ghana’s Laity Council Backs Catholic Bishops’ Call for Bold Action against Illegal Mining

Describing illegal mining as “cancer,” the Bishops said that the menace has currently become one of the gravest afflictions in the West African nation.

“This is not a routine challenge to be managed with half-measures; it is a national emergency requiring a decisive, extraordinary response,” GCBC members said.

The Catholic Bishops explained that the state of emergency “would empower extraordinary interventions”, including curfews in volatile areas, the securing of devastated lands, the dismantling of entrenched criminal syndicates, and the halting of corrupt administrative complicities.

They asserted that the scale of the crisis justified “nothing less.” 

In their September 16 statement, members of the lay leaders in Ghana say that they are experiencing first-hand impact of the illegal mining, saying, “we, the lay faithful, live in the very communities where the impact is felt most painfully.”

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They say that they have witnessed water sources that were once life-giving and clear, now poisoned with mercury and cyanide, running brown and lifeless.

“We watch fertile farmlands, which for generations fed families and sustained livelihoods, destroyed and abandoned to gaping pits. We witness our children, who should be in school learning for a brighter future, dropping out to risk their lives in unstable mining shafts, for quick but fleeting gains,” they say.

They add, “We know too well the health consequences: strange skin diseases, kidney failures, cancers, and other illnesses that creep into our communities through polluted water and food.”

NCLC members emphasize that “galamsey has truly become a national disaster, not only threatening our environment but also endangering human life, family sustenance, and national security.”

In the statement, the Laity council members say that illegal mining is not just an economic or political issue, but it is also a moral and spiritual crisis.

Referring to the book of Psalms, “The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it”, the NCLC members say that since creation belongs to God, and human beings are only stewards, to destroy the environment for selfish gain is to offend not only one’s neighbour but also God, the Creator and Owner of all things.

“We must recognize, therefore, that participation in galamsey is incompatible with our Catholic faith. One cannot call oneself a true Christian while destroying God’s creation and endangering the lives of others,” they say.

The lay leaders urge their colleagues in the country to take personal responsibility for desisting from engaging in any illegal mining activities, whether they are involved directly or indirectly.

They urge Catholics who may be engaged in promoting illegal mining to repent, adding, “Galamsey gravely contradicts the values of our faith. It is a sin that cries out to heaven for justice and places one’s soul in danger.”

They call upon Parish Priests, lay associations, Small Christian Communities, and all parish councils to intensify teaching and dialogue on this issue, and to offer support and guidance for those seeking alternatives.

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Reiterating the Bishops’ call for a state of emergency, the lay leaders call for the prosecution of offenders without fear or favour, including those in high office.

They urge the government to create sustainable economic activities, especially for the youth, and to launch a nationwide programme of reforestation and land reclamation to restore the damage already caused by illegal mining.

Silas Mwale Isenjia is a Kenyan journalist with a great zeal and interest for Catholic Church related communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communication from Moi University in Kenya. Silas has vast experience in the Media production industry. He currently works as a Journalist for ACI Africa.