Arocha Ghana has served a notice of civil action against the Government over its plans to exploit the Atewa Range Forest for bauxite.
The notice which was filed on Monday, January 13, 2020 is in pursuant to Section 10 of the State Proceeding Act 1998, Act 555. The action intends to protect and safeguard the environment pursuant to the constitutional duty imposed under article 41(k) of the 1992 Constitution.
This was contained in a statement signed by the National Director of Arocha Ghana, Seth Appiah Kubi.
Arocha together with more than 20 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) both local and international, have embarked on a series of campaigns to steer government away from its decision.
They again sent a petition to both the Presidency and Parliament but according to Arocha Ghana, the government has consistently demonstrated no interest at all in the actions taken.
It is against this background that they have serve the notice to bring a legal suit against the government should they fail to exclude Atewa Range Forest from the bauxite mining project.
The intended reliefs of the notice include a declaration, that the right to life and dignity as enshrined in the 1992 Constitution includes the right to a clean and healthy environment and the right to have the environment protected for the benefit of present and future generations.
In addition, a declaration that mining bauxite in the Atewa Forest violates the right to life and dignity and an order, compelling the government and its agents to take the necessary steps to protect Atewa Forest Range.
Other parts of the relief also states an order which restrains the government and other partners from undertaking mining and its related activities in the Atewa Forest Range.
