The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference have called on Chiefs and Queens to demonstrate their leadership by outlawing illegal and irresponsible
mining within their territorial jurisdiction.
According to the Bishops, Chiefs and Queen who fail to act to protect their traditional territories from illegal and irresponsible mining actually shirk their responsibility and break their sacred oath to the people.
Most Reverend Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, Catholic Bishop of Sunyani and President of the Bishops’ Conference in a statement called on Local Communities to rise up to their God given right and responsibility to protect their forests, lands, river bodies and indeed, their very lives.
The statement said “Destroying our environment is not an
acceptable answer to unemployment. All communities must wake up to the reality that the
destruction of their environment is self-destruction(cf. Laudate Deum, 3).”
It called on all Citizens to embrace conscientisation on this environmental tragedy. “Let our minds and
consciousness reawaken to the truth that Ghana is the only earthly home we have as a people. We must therefore manage our environment with care and together fight against the perpetrators of illegal and irresponsible mining.”
“All other Religious Leaders, especially Christians and Muslim to show fidelity to the dictates of the Bible and Quran respectively, which enjoin on them to care for God’s creation. Let us take up our divinely given leadership of our people with seriousness, sincerity and courage. Let us live above reproach in these matters.”
Source:Mybrytfmonline/Mensah Atakora
