Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah
The hypocrisy about managing illegal mining or galamsey as it is referred to will remain with us as citizens of this country for a long time to come.
The months leading up to the last elections presented us with the most spectacular if you like dramatic of political hypocrisies to have been staged in this country.
This was a time when for the first time so-called neutrals hiding behind civil society organisations (CSOs) staged demonstrations in the streets of Accra and demanding the declaration of a state of emergency in the country because of galamsey.
Today, the so-called neutrals have gone into a Rip Van Winkle slumber, seeing nothing as they sit at their new posts in state institutions. Some of them have stated that they are so preoccupied with their new roles that they can no longer continue with the fight against galamsey. Others say it is not a fight which can be won overnight and should not be limited to the presidency alone. This is how low morality has gone in local politics.
One of the proponents of the declaration of a state of emergency now says that it would not be in the interest of a conducive climate to declare a state of emergency.
One of the callers for the declaration of a state of emergency was Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources. Today, he has revised his position on the subject of illegal mining, running away from an overnight declaration of a state of emergency. What has changed? His party won the elections and so such a declaration would not inure to the interest of the state.
Armah Kofi Buah will be a wonderful actor and we would not hesitate to recommend him for such a role when he is off duty.
A couple of days ago, under the glare of television cameras, he played out what he might have rehearsed for a few days at home.
He pretended to be shedding tears about the state of illegal mining in the country and the near state of hopelessness about the war against the illegality.
A man walks up to him to render consolation when he bowed his head and used a handkerchief to wipe the tears. Wow! What a performance by a man who has by the act ostensibly given up on the fight against illegal mining.
It would appear that the performance was to herald the announcement about the revocation of the mining licence of a non-operational Akonta Mining Company owned by Bernard Antwi Boasiako, aka Chairman Wontumi.
Has the company, when it was functional, been engaged in illegal mining? The answer is no. Was it possible for people he did not know to go and engage in illegal mining on his concession? Yes.
Did the minister follow laid-down procedure in revoking the licence? No.
Let us allow due process to work in this country and avoid such legal pitfalls so investments can come in from outside our borders.
One of the features of the so-called 1979 revolution was that local businessmen who had prospered had their business empires shattered.
Shouldn’t we rather encourage local businessmen and women to thrive rather than subject them to such whims and caprices of politicians with an ax to grind with them? We have come a long way from the diabolical days of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) era and should steer clear of such traits. They won’t help the nation.