UG old student uses arts exhibition to preach against illegal mining

A Former University of Ghana Student, Kojo Owusu, has announced plans to put together a unique art display to preach against illegal mining popularly known as ‘galamsey’ in the country.

The exhibition’s goal is to provide a unique perspective to the national campaign against illicit mining in the country and is anticipated to take place at Ozzie’s Beach Palace from December 5 to 10, 2022.

Speaking on campus exclusively, Kojo Owusu elaborated on adopting a different technique in the world of art to spread information about illegal mining to the public.

It’s mostly in the news and then documentaries. So, if you don’t watch the news that day, or you don’t watch a documentary that day, it means you didn’t hear of it. Arts last longer when it is in any environment, it’s gonna be there for quite some time, so that why I decided to add that voice to the campaign against illegal mining. The same message but through a different medium.

He reiterated the need for everyone to follow the government’s initiatives to aid in the total eradication of illegal mining.

I know government can do what they can, but also nation-building it’s for all of us,we are all involved in the nation-building so even if government rolls out policies and the people who supposed to implement them, they don’t implement them which are we. If we don’t implement them, whatever government does will still amount to nothing so I feel like government is doing its best but it is up to us to also add our voice to stop this canker.

Kojo Owusu further called on perpetrators of illegal mining to reconsider the consequences of their actions.

He also sided with the Minister of interior’s claim that illegal mining could lead to terrorism.

So it’s easier for terrorism to happen in places where illegal stuff are happening. The people funding these illegal mining activities are big government officials, people that are very powerful so the way that we can stop it is to appeal to their conscience.

The “galamsey” art exhibition is a  five (5) day program that will include visual artists who will display their works and use them to express the negative environmental effects of unlawful mining.

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