President Mills cutting the tape to open the Congress
PRESIDENT MILLS has promised to clamp down on illegal mining popularly called ‘galamsey’ following a trip to the Eastern region to obtain first hand information about its adverse effects.
“A few days ago, one had to make a trip to the Eastern region to observe the adverse effects of environmental degradation caused by ‘galamsey’ operators. We cannot afford to engage in practices which in the long run will destroy the earth and what the good Lord gave us to begin with,” the President said.
Speaking at first ever Ghana Science Congress in Accra on Tuesday, President Mills said when it comes to the environment we are grappling with a difficult problem.
“Due to illegal mining popularly referred to as galamsey and the illegal felling of trees, we now have to do what it takes to employ people to protect our environment.”
According to President Mills, in spite of what people might regard as commendable achievements with regards to the country’s administration, “we still have a long way to go.”
Touching on sanitation, he lamented, “there is no denying the fact that we are facing huge challenges in the area of sanitation as well as managing the environment.”
He cited some of them as the inability to properly dispose of waste and the inability to deal with the plastic and polythene menace which continue to compound Ghana’s sanitation problems.
He was certain that with the institution of the Science Congress, government will soon find proper ways of addressing the challenges.
The congress will also enable government take stock of how far the country has come in creating the scientific conditions for building crucial scientific and technological capacity.
On water, he admitted that the country was facing huge challenges that needed to be properly looked at.
“I am glad that the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology is making every effort to promote biodiversity conservation and effective management.”
The president noted that while scientists continue to research and contribute their quota to building a Better Ghana, it is incumbent on all Ghanaians to also make the work of scientists easier by being alive to “our responsibilities of safeguarding the environment as well as being sanitation conscious. I believe this Congress is presenting a good opportunity to us to reshape our thought processes.”
Sherry Ayittey, Minister for Environment, Science and Technology, in her statement noted that the theme of the congress: “Water, sanitation and environment – securing our future through science” is appropriate and timely considering looking the various challenges facing the economy that need a scientific approach to resolve.