Reverend Sgt. Jacob Bitirem, a resident minister of the Good Shepherd Methodist Church has called on young people and Ghanaians to reject illegal mining and adopt responsible practices to protect the country’s environment.

Speaking on the theme, “Our Healthy Environment and Our Future,” during a church service at the Odorkor Police Church on Sunday August 9 Rev. Sgt. Bitirem urged the public to take greater responsibility for protecting the environment and refrain from activities that destroy forests, degrade land and pollute water bodies.

He stressed that while mining contributes to livelihoods, it must be carried out through legal and environmentally responsible means.

“When you come to what is called mining, we have legal and illegal. The land is a blessing to us, and when you treat the land well, you will be blessed by its fruit,” he said.

Rev. Sgt. Bitirem explained that legal mining provides mechanisms for restoring land and replacing vegetation after mining activities, condemning galamsey, for its destructive impact on the country’s natural resources.

“We have a legal way, a formal way, a proper way we can do this galamsey. After felling, they have a way they will replant the trees and recover every loss.

“But when it comes to illegal, it is where they destroy the grounds, they destroy the forest, they destroy the lands, just because of money,” he added.

He therefore encouraged those interested in mining to obtain the necessary permits and operate within the law, stressing that economic activities should not come at the expense of the environment and the wellbeing of future generations.