Jail galamsey-linked officials-Education Minister urges judges

Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu has called on the judiciary to hand down custodial sentences to public officials and politicians found complicit in illegal mining, saying tougher sanctions are needed to confront the crisis.

Addressing the Annual Chief Justice Mentoring Programme at the forecourt of the Supreme Court in Accra, Mr Iddrisu said the Executive cannot win the fight against galamsey alone and needs the courts to match its resolve.

“Should the court find any good evidence on any public official or any politician involved in it, my Lords, don’t hesitate to exercise the gavel and punish adequately so that it becomes deterrent for the rest of our society.”

The event, held on the theme “Advocating Greener Sustainable Justice: The Environment and Justice”, brought together students from 11 senior high schools in the Greater Accra and Western Regions, the Orange Girls groups from Accra and Kumasi, and members of the United Nations Youth Association.

Mr Iddrisu warned that illegal mining is destroying river bodies and undermining key export sectors. “Galamsey is destroying water bodies, even the quality of our cocoa has been compromised. Preserve the environment,” he told the students, adding that environmental protection is now “a moral and civic duty and increasingly a legal one”.

He praised Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie and his predecessors for expanding the mentoring programme, saying it has helped demystify the work of the courts for young people. He urged students to take their studies seriously, embrace patriotism and integrity, and see public service as a noble calling.

The Minister also welcomed the establishment of Justice Clubs in schools, pledging that the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service would continue to support them as a way of nurturing disciplined and civically minded young citizens.

Professor Justice Olivia Anku-Tsede, Chair of the Mentoring Committee, said illegal mining had become “a threat to our national heritage, our public health, laws and the very future of our communities”. She noted that rivers are polluted, forests are disappearing and farmlands are being devastated.

Prof Anku-Tsede said defeating illegal mining requires a collective response and active participation by young people. “Our youth must understand that sustainability is not a slogan… it is a responsibility,” she added.