Sam Jonah Urges Media Houses To Reenergise Campaign Against Galamsey

• Business mogul Sam Jonah has bemoaned the recent drastic drop in reportage on Galamsey and its devastation in the media
• He said it was reminiscent of the government's loss of political will to tackle the important national issue
• He has urged the media to take up the campaign again and force the hand of the government to act to end it

Industrialist Sam Jonah has called out Ghana’s media houses for losing momentum in their coverage of the country's ongoing illegal mining activities.

He said illegal mining, known as Galamsey, is an important national issue that must be at the forefront of all news reportage.

Speaking at the 75th anniversary of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) in Accra on Wednesday, April 17, he bemoaned the devastating effect of Galamsey on communities affected by the canker.

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He said livelihoods have been decimated, waters destroyed, forests stripped of their vegetative cover, and it has led to a rise in birth defects and liver and kidney diseases in affected communities.

He said the silence of the media on the atrocities that have been inflicted on communities affected by Galamsey is rather disappointing and shows unseriousness on the part of the media.

“I don’t know whether you are exhausted and indeed frustrated by the shameful lack of decisive action from the authorities to your interventions. All I know is that your association’s pen which is your weapon has gone eerily silent on this all important matter,” he said.

He charged journalists and media houses with taking more concerted and sustained action against the menace and forcing the government to act decisively to end it.

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“As Journalists the times we live in beckon you to remember your purpose, power and your responsibility. The price of the continued silence is too grave to fathom,” he warned.

Sam Jonah calls for an end to political patronage in media space

Earlier, the business mogul called out the increasing political patronage and unprofessionalism in Ghana’s media landscape.

According to Sam Jonah, political patronage for material benefits has eroded the integrity of the media profession and led to a more polarised society with no neutral ground.

He called for journalists to remain truthful and unbiased, particularly as the country heads towards the polls.

Former EPA boss says Galamsey threatens Ghana’s cocoa export

Earlier YEN.com.gh reported that the former Environmental Protection Agency boss, Henry Kokofu, has warned that Ghanaian cocoa beans could face an international ban over illegal mining concerns.

He explained that the increase in Galamsey activities across the country poses a direct danger to the survival of the cocoa industry.

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He has urged the government to intensify its campaign against the menace to save the country's cocoa industry.

Source: YEN.com.gh