The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) has raised alarm over reports that Ghana imported excavators worth GH₵6.2 billion in 2024, ranking third in the country’s import bill.
According to GBA President Efua Ghartey, this prompts serious questions about the purpose of bringing in such large numbers of excavators, particularly given the devastating environmental impact of illegal mining.
The GBA stressed that the battle against galamsey is not just about gold but also about governance, the rule of law, and the nation’s future.
The association highlighted that the problem lies not in weak regulations but in the failure to enforce existing laws.
“This fight against Galamsey is not about gold. It is about governance, it is about Ghana, the need for sustained committed leadership. It is about whether the Rule of Law will prevail in Ghana or whether institutional inertia will continue to cripple us,” she said.
The GBA President questioned which legitimate businesses in Ghana could possibly require such massive numbers of excavators, stating, “What thriving business in Ghana requires the importation of such huge numbers of excavators?”
The association further emphasized that lawyers have a moral responsibility to speak out against entrenched interests that exploit status and privilege to perpetuate the galamsey menace.
The importation of excavators carries serious environmental consequences, with many reportedly used for illegal mining that causes deforestation, soil erosion, and water pollution.
“The rivers of Ghana cannot speak. The forests cannot speak, but we as guardians of justice must raise our voices on their behalf,” Mrs. Ghartey added, urging legal professionals to act in defense of the environment.
“As I coast to the end of this address, respectfully two urgent national issues are worthy of mention: illegal mining referred to as galamsey, and, for emphasis, some treatment received by lawyers providing services to clients.
“On the much-vexed issue of illegal mining, reviewing the existing laws, our challenge is not a lack of regulation, but a failure of enforcement.
“This fight against Galamsey is not about gold. It is about governance, it is about Ghana, the need for sustained committed leadership.
“It is about whether the Rule of Law will prevail in Ghana or whether institutional inertia will continue to cripple us.
“We were informed by a recent media report that Ghana imports the highest number of excavators in West Africa and the second highest number in all of Africa. If indeed that is the case, one may ask: What thriving business in Ghana requires the importation of such huge numbers of excavators?
“If entrenched interests hide behind status and privilege, then we, as lawyers, have a moral duty to strip away the impunity that shields them.
“The rivers of Ghana cannot speak. The forests cannot speak, but we as guardians of justice must raise our voices on their behalf,” she concluded.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
