Citi FM with its partner station, Beach FM 105.5 in Takoradi, on Thursday renewed the #StopGalamseyNow Campaign in the Western Region.
Branded in the campaign T-shirts with fliers in hand, the team hit the principal streets of Takoradi including places such as the Paa Grant roundabout to Poly Traffic Light, Pipe Ano to Nkrumah Roundabout and the Market Circle area.
The campaign since its launch on 3rd April 2017, has taken the fight against illegal mining to decision makers, with five clear demands aimed at ending the destruction associated with the menace.
Speaking to earlier to Citi News, the General Manager of Beach FM, Kojo Amoako Nzoley, explained that the campaign is an extension of what was done in the Greater Accra Region.
“This is an extension of what has been happening in Accra, championed by Citi FM and what we are going to do is to go to major traffic areas in town and send the story about the effects of Galamsey. For us in Western Region, we have a first hand experience of what Galamsey is doing to our water bodies so we are taking it out to the streets and we expect people to embrace it and also lend their voices so that leadership will take action.”
The campaign makes five clear demands for government:
- The total cessation of all small and medium scale mining for a period of six months
- The cessation of the issuance of new mining licences for a year
- The reclassification of mining categories to reflect the use of new/larger equipment
- The allowance of water bodies to regenerate their natural ecology
- Tree planting and a land reclamation project
The campaign has so far received massive support from various groups and individuals who joined in raising awareness on the problem.
Citi FM subsequently presented a petition to Parliament last week, as part of measures to push the agenda to address the problem.
The petition, which was submitted by the station’s Director of News Programming and Host of Citi Breakfast Show, Bernard Koku Avle, was received by the leadership of Parliament.
They also commended the station for the advocacy.
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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana