The Constitutional Review Committee has called on Ghanaians to take a definitive stance on the growing menace of illegal mining, commonly referred to as galamsey, and actively propose constitutional clauses that will address and mitigate its impact.

The committee, which has begun its nationwide public engagement efforts, kicked off the consultation process with a crucial meeting involving members of academia.

During the session, key stakeholders deliberated on the devastating effects of galamsey on Ghana’s environment, economy, and public health, stressing that illegal mining must not be encouraged under any circumstances.

Speaking at the engagement, the Chairman of the Constitutional Review Committee, Professor H. Kwesi Prempeh, emphasized the urgency of reviewing existing legal frameworks to ensure that the nation’s natural resources are protected.

He reiterated that the issue of galamsey has dominated national discourse in recent years due to its widespread consequences, including deforestation, water pollution, and the destruction of arable farmland.

According to him, if the problem is not addressed at the constitutional level, Ghana risks long-term environmental degradation that will have dire consequences for future generations.

“Natural resources are also very topical these days in the news around galamsey and other issues. So I think it is important that we focus on that as well but we also have sequenced these discussions in part looking at we starting with those provisions of the constitution with chapters where there are more non-entrenched clauses than entrenched clauses. So we want to get a sense of the scope of the reform possibilities.”