The illegal mining menace goes back to 2013, and it is horrific that as a nation we have allowed this gross devastation of the ecology by the galamsey activities.Indeed, foreigners and their Ghanaian collaborators have destroyed the ecosystem, the food chain and the hydrogen and carbon cycles.
Clearly, those entrusted with the public purse and the national security architecture of Ghana should be blamed for the devastation of Ghana’s arable lands and water bodies, simply because they have failed to exercise their executive power due to parochial and vested interests.
Questions agitating the mind are: Why has mining for gold been allowed to bring about such devastation to the nation? What percentage of gold exports from galamsey activities go into the national kitty?
If Ghana bans surface mining and concentrates only on underground mining, will we not be able to take care of our financial needs as a nation?
Why has the death of the eight noble Ghanaians not been the most potent justification for eliminating galamsey operations in the country forthrightly?
Don’t we betray the collective memories of the gallant eight men who perished in the helicopter crash if we continue to pussy-foot about the galamsey menace?
Indeed, those who have been put in charge of the nation to manage its resources for the common good of all the citizens should be held responsible for this environmental degradation of enormous proportions.
We need a state of emergency on galamsey now, to deal with consequences on the social, economic, cultural, environmental, political and national security threats to 36 million Ghanaians.
Truly, Ghana is on fire, and anybody who stalls on this vexed question of declaration of a state of emergency on galamsey, figuratively, is using buckets to put off the fire instead of water tankers.
The lame argument has been made that the state of emergency on galamsey will prevent people from going about their rightful businesses, which will bring untold hardships on innocent people.
This emotive argument is also disingenuous, because it will be specific to galamsey operations, and make the possession and movement of mining equipment a crime against the state.
How this direct measure targeted to deal with the galamsey menace and the industry around it, affects daily farming, economic activities and business ventures of the residents in the enclave is problematic indeed.We need aggressive education on the consequences of galamsey; thus, the call for the introduction of alternative livelihoods for the youth in the galamsey-endemic areas is supported.
Needs assessment will encourage the youth to embrace alternative and sustainable livelihoods.
This re-orientation will channel the energies of the youth to worthwhile and sustainable ventures.
This way, they will not be misled by some of the political party financiers, who are heavily involved in the terrible devastation of our arable farmlands and water bodies.
These interested youth can be employed for the reclamation of the devastated lands and water bodies, and paid a living wage, to enable them to take care of themselves and their families.
Furthermore, these youth should be encouraged to take care of the trees planted and nurture them to maturity.
The protocol for reclamation of land in galamsey endemic areas should emphasise that no food crops should be planted in the contaminated areas since the heavy metals stay in the soil for very long years.
Rather, economic trees should be planted to prevent people from consuming poisonous chemicals that are already embedded in the soil, and which the crops certainly absorb.
CONCLUSION
It is the opinion of many that illegal miners who continuously poison Ghanaians by their operations and are not willing to obey the dictates of the state of emergency on galamsey, because of their parochial interest, should be removed from our midst and kept somewhere else; just to enable Ghanaians to enjoy a healthy environment, for the good of all, and to the Glory of God.
Akyem Ntronang.
E-mail: ignatiusamponsah5@gmail.com
