Create jobs for the youth to curb illegal mining –Osahen

The Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has called for urgent national policies aimed at creating sustainable employment opportunities for the youth, particularly in agriculture and tree crop farming, as part of efforts to curb the growing menace of illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.

Contributing to a statement on the floor of Parliament, Afenyo-Markin warned that the destruction of Ghana’s environment through illegal mining was closely linked to youth unemployment and the lack of viable economic opportunities.

According to him, unless deliberate steps are taken to provide young people with alternative livelihoods, many would continue to be drawn to illegal mining activities that are destroying forests and water bodies across the country.

“Directly connected to this is the need to create opportunities for our youth,” he told the House. “Especially so when we are aware that one of the factors destroying our forest cover is galamsey.”

The Minority Leader noted that illegal mining had become one of the biggest threats to Ghana’s natural resources, with its effects increasingly visible in the destruction of forest reserves and pollution of water bodies.

He explained that in many communities, the lure of quick money from illegal mining had compelled farmers to abandon their farms and even destroy crops in favour of mining activities.

“Where trees fell in, where our water bodies are being destroyed, people are even pulling down their cocoa trees and their farms because of the attraction of galamsey,” he said.

He warned that the situation was worsening the effects of climate change, including extreme heat conditions being experienced in some parts of the country.

Osahen Afenyo-Markin stressed that government must begin to deliberately promote agriculture, particularly tree crop farming, as a viable source of employment for young people.

He mentioned crops such as coconut, mango and cashew as sectors that could create significant job opportunities if properly supported with the right policies and incentives.

“We have to encourage our youth to go into tree crop farming. Coconuts, mango and other tree crops should be seen as a major source of employment,” he emphasised.

The Minority Leader added that Ghana appeared to be overlooking the economic potential of several tree crops that could generate income for thousands of young people. Sharing observations from a recent trip to the Bono Region, he noted that cashew farming, for instance, had significant potential to create jobs if given the needed policy support.

“I was in the Bono area over the weekend and they were talking about cashew. We seem to have forgotten about some of these cash crops and we are not putting in policies to attract the youth in that direction,” he said.

To ensure that the issues raised during the debate translate into practical measures, Osahen Afenyo-Markin proposed that the statement be referred to the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources for further consideration.

According to him, the ministry could study the proposals and develop a comprehensive policy framework that would provide resources and opportunities for young people seeking alternative livelihoods.

“My proposal is for you to make a referral of this very important statement to the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources,” he told the Speaker.

He explained that the ministry should extract key policy ideas from the discussions and develop strategies that would create funding avenues and support systems for young people interested in agriculture and other productive sectors.

Without such interventions, he cautioned, illegal mining would remain attractive to unemployed youth seeking economic survival.

“Otherwise they would continue to see mining, illegal mining otherwise known as galamsey, as their main source of wealth,” he warned.

The Minority Leader also reflected on the rare coincidence of the Christian Lenten season and the Islamic holy month of Ramadan occurring at the same time this year.

He described the moment as a period of spiritual reflection that should encourage Ghanaians to act responsibly in protecting the environment.

“This year something very strange happened. Lent and Ramadan coincided. Lent started the same day as Ramadan,” he observed.According to him, the spiritual significance of the period should inspire citizens to protect the nation’s natural resources rather than exploit them for short-term gains.

Background

Earlier, the Member of Parliament for Krachi-Nchumuru, Solomon Kuyon, had delivered a statement highlighting the urgent need to empower Ghana’s youth with sustainable economic opportunities.

In his statement, Solomon Kuyon argued that many young Ghanaians possessed the ambition and creativity to build successful businesses, but were often constrained by the lack of accessible financing.

To address this challenge, he proposed the establishment of a National Youth Development Fund, which would provide seed capital, scale-up financing and skills development support to young entrepreneurs across the country.

According to him, such a fund would bridge the gap between youthful ambition and economic opportunity while helping to unlock innovation and job creation nationwide.

 

 

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