Ken Ashigbey
Ken Ashigbey, the man at the forefront of the galamsey crusade could not have painted a gloomier picture about the risks his compatriots are facing today in their motherland.
The heavy metals component of the water being consumed by the average Ghanaian is scary.
In an earlier commentary, we reechoed the concern raised by the Ghana Medical Association about the repercussions of galamsey on the health of Ghanaians.
We empathise with the President as he tries hard to convince stakeholders that he indeed is fighting galamsey.
Unfortunately for him, many doubt this and wonder what success has been chalked as some would want us to believe.
Ken Ashigbey’s demand for a definition of the success being alluded to makes sense because we are at a loss as to what factors accounted for this conclusion. We also demand what level of aggravation would be enough to trigger the declaration of a state of emergency.
Mr. President has given a fresh insight into this troubling matter of galamsey. According to him, he would only rely upon the advice of the National Security Council before such a declaration.
Since such an advice has not yet been given, and we wonder if it will, those calling for it thinking the time is now might be getting it all wrong. The National Security Council is seeing things from a different lens.
The next political campaign season would be unlike future ones. Politicians would have learnt the lessons about not making wild promises which are largely not only unfeasible but unsustainable.
Whoever thought that galamsey would one day take the form it has today?
As a full-fledged politically-inclined subject, it is destroying the integrity of otherwise fine gentlemen who have jumped into it without their thinking caps.
Even a scientist was overhead talking about so-called dechemicalising of water as a project, forgetting that H2O is on its own a chemical.
For want of something to harass their opponents with, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has adopted galamsey for convenience.
Had the Attorney General and Minister of Justice chosen something else to harangue his opponents with, he would have avoided the potential mines on his path.
A few days ago, he announced that charges against the Akonta Mining Company and its owner were ready. He added that the owner of the company, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, should report to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) for the charges preferred against him to be read to him, failing which he would order his arrest.
Learning later that the suspect’s lawyer, Andy Appiah-Kubi had told the CID Director-General that his client would make himself available on Tuesday, made many conclude that this case being a political one would follow the path of others in that category.
The posturing of the Attorney General was not comforting and we demand that when such matters crop, politicians on government side while relishing it should avoid the euphoria clearly on their countenance as they speak about them under media cameras.
The ‘by all means find him guilty’ has gained traction among Ghanaians who belong to the other side of the political aisle. We should steer off this tangent and stop the so-called resetting of the judiciary among other state institutions.