“Let us use RTI to fight illegal mining” – Dr. Dominic Ayine

Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr. Dominic Ayine, has urged the Right to Information (RTI) Commission to make environmental information a core focus of its public education campaigns.

According to him, it help citizens take action against environmental destruction, particularly illegal mining (galamsey).

Dr. Ayine emphasized that empowering Ghanaians with timely and accurate information about environmental issues would enable them to hold authorities accountable and defend the nation’s natural resources from abuse.

He made the call while delivering the keynote address at the 5th Anniversary and Stakeholders’ Conference of the RTI Commission in Accra, held under the theme, “Championing Transparency and Accountability through Access to Information in a Digital Era.”

According to him, Ghana faces grave environmental threats from illegal mining and deforestation, making access to reliable data and transparency in environmental governance more important than ever.

“At a time when our nation faces the existential threat of environmental degradation, particularly from illegal mining and deforestation, access to accurate information becomes critical,” Dr. Ayine said.

He added that transparency in environmental governance is a powerful tool that allows citizens to understand the impact of unsustainable practices and demand responsibility from those managing the country’s natural resources.

“I urge the Commission to make environmental information a central pillar of its awareness campaigns, ensuring that citizens are empowered to act in defence of our collective future,” he stressed.

The colourful anniversary celebration, held at the Mövenpick Ambassador Hotel, was graced by the Ga Mantse, His Majesty King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, together with his chiefs and queen mothers.

The Ga Mantse, who joined the Commission in marking the milestone, presented awards to deserving institutions and individuals for their outstanding contributions to promoting transparency, accountability, and access to information in Ghana.

Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith