By Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
The Director of the Anti-Corruption Galamsey Unit of Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Prof. Michael Kwarteng, has bemoaned the increasing activities of illegal mining known in the Ghanaian parlance as Galamsey in cocoa growing areas across the country.
Prof. Kwarteng has thus called for an immediate halt to the Galamsey menace.
According to him, Ghana risks losing its premium position in the international cocoa market if nothing is done halt activities of illegal mining.
Prof Kwarteng lamented the struggles cocoa farmers go through in obtaining water for irrigation on their farms as most water bodies have been polluted.
“There’s no way we can put cocoa aside and concentrate on the minerals. All our water bodies are going, now for farmers to get water to nurse their crops is even difficult, some buy sachet water and take it to the farms,” he cried.
Commenting on the European Union’s (EU) report of a possible ban on Ghana over cocoa grown on deforested land on an Accra-based Citi TV, the Director of Anti-Corruption Galamsey Unit of COCOBOD, bemoaned the adverse impact of galamsey on cocoa production.
He is, therefore, calling for an assessment of the benefits of cocoa to Ghanaian citizens and that of Galamsey.
“Per what we’re seeing, if nothing is done to stop this illegal mining, we may lose even our position as the number one premium cocoa.
The former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr. Henry Kokofu, has earlier warned regarding a potential embargo on Ghana’s cocoa bean exports to the global market due to escalating activities of illegal miners.
Prof. Kwarteng, in affirming the position of the former CEO of EPA, maintained that in terms of quality, “we all know that, in the whole world, Ghana’s cocoa is the best. If we continue to allow this illegality to spread, then we’re going to lose that enviable position, because the quality of our cocoa beans is going to be affected seriously.
I know our Cocoa Research Institute is researching that, and I’m sure they will come out with their findings soon. But per what we’re all seeing, we stand the risk of losing, so he’s right,” he added
Prof. Kwarteng, continued by saying “ I think we have not realized the benefits we’re getting from cocoa production as a nation. COCOBOD is doing so much, cocoa production is offering us employment, even road construction. Our cocoa farmers rely on cocoa for their livelihoods. I think that as a nation, we should begin to assess the importance of cocoa production,” the Director of Anti-Corruption Galamsey Unit of COCOBOD said.
