Illegal mining has not only become a developmental concern but health and security mantra. Today the illegal miners have not limited their activities to water bodies and the forest, but to our cocoa farms.
The use of mercury and other dangerous chemicals poses health hazards because of the wrongful usage, thereby exacerbating the health of the people.
The galamseyers in their attempt to protect their livelihoods have decided to arm themselves to the teeth with sophisticated weapons, threatening the security of the state.
Another worrying development is the alleged involvement of all manner of people including duty bearers, politicians and chiefs, making the ordinary people to suspect that the government is only paying lip service to the campaign. The recent claims by the former Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Prof Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng against certain government appointees for their involvement in illegal mining have dampened the spirit of the people to curb the menace.
First of all, we urge more commitment on the part of the government to “kill” the galamsey menace. The kind of deployment of security personnel in addition to the material resources beats the imagination of the people about the failure of the security operations. There is no justification for the failure of the security deployment unless there are unseen and powerful hands manipulating the security operations.
We remind President Akufo-Addo of his pledge in 2017 to put his presidency on the line to fight the illegal miners to redeem his image as “Addo Showboy.” This is a critical national exercise that cannot fail in order to protect the environment. Galamsey is conducted in the open with the mobilisation of human and material resources, including excavators that are transported to the mining areas, but our security agencies are unable to halt this deployment for illegal activities.
What makes this strategy more scary is the extension of illegal mining to the northern part of the country, especially the Black Volta. Ghanaians have been worried about illegal mining in the country but they had solace in the fact that these nation wreckers have spared the River Volta and its tributaries such as the White and Black Volta.
Now these illegal miners have dared the resolve of the state by extending their destruction to the Black Volta, for they know that the state will look on in helpless amazement. Our silence to deal with illegal mining has exposed the failure of the state to protect the country’s heritage. We dare the state and for that matter the government to renew its fight against illegal mining to protect the nation’s resources.
We warn that the actions of illegal miners if not stopped will derail the country’s efforts to build a strong economy. We should not allow the selfish interests of a few to deny the majority of the people their right to the fruits of the nation.
All over the world, governments are focusing on sustainable development such that the present generation will exploit the country’s resources with the interest of the future generation in mind. Illegal miners’ activities are detrimental to sustainable development. The time to end galamsey is now, as the government has no excuse not to break the back of illegal mining.