By: Rev. Fr. Ignatius James Yaw Amponsah
INTRODUCTION
My dear country men and women, our dear motherland Ghana is at the crossroads, and seems to be thorn between the devil and the deep blue sea. This precarious situation has arisen considering the current situation of Ghana our Motherland, where reports from the illegal mining enclave claim that pregnant women have been giving birth to disfigured and malformed babies. Apropos wildlife, animals in the bush are drinking from stagnant water bodies contaminated with poisonous heavy chemicals like mercury, arsenic, cyanide, iron, lead etc. The devastated forest and arable farmlands besides, poisoning of foodstuffs, water bodies and our share of the sea that God has given us, with careless abandon, are all due to the destructive and very dangerous surface mining that has today become an OPEN NATIONAL SORE. This bodes ill for the national health and image of our beloved country Ghana
globally.
IS GALAMSEY OPERATIONS A BETRAYAL OF THE GHANAIAN ETHOS?
Many Africans were righteously angry when President Donald Trump classified some African migrants in the USA, as coming from “SHIT – HOLE” countries. As an African and a Reverend Father, not only do I see the description as un-presidential, but PLEASE, let us not cover up for those, who have looked on, and allowed Motherland, Ghana to be so devastated by the activities of galamsey. The country is virtually on its knees because foreigners are those who are led on by Ghanaian
nationals, to destroy the ecosystem, the food-chain and the hydrogen and carbon cycles. Those entrusted with the public purse and the national security architecture of Ghana, should be blamed heavily for the devastation of Ghana’s arable lands and water bodies. They have or had every opportunity to stop destructive and dangerous surface mining in Ghana, but they have failed so far to exercise their constitutional mandate because of their parochial and vested interest.
The MOST PAINFUL PART of this galamsey debacle is that, some people even argue that the galamsey operations is the source of livelihood for over 3 million Ghanaians, as if to suggest that the earnings from gold are more valuable or precious than the lives of the over 33 million Ghanaians. As a very passionate Ghanaian, some questions agitate the mind and beg for answers.
The questions we all need to ask as Ghanaians are:
- Is gold the only commodity that can help us to take care of the financial needs of Ghana, such that we should allow such a devastation to hit the nation?
- Can duty bearers and government appointees including the minerals commission tell us the percentage of gold exports that the state benefits from galamsey activities, and how much by way of taxes goes 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 (8) 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 (8) men who
perished in the helicopter crash if we continue to pussy-foot about the galamsey menace?
Indeed, we can’t blame anybody else for the unprecedented ENVIRONMENTAL DEVASTATION that has hit Ghana our Motherland, except those, who have been put in-charge of the nation to manage its resources for the common good of all the citizens.
STATE OF EMERGENCY: TO BE OR NOT TO BE
We need a STATE OF EMERGENCY on galamsey now!. Simply because there is no time to waste, due to all the terrible consequences of the activities of galamsey on the social, economic, cultural, environmental, and political as well as the national security implications for the survival of the 36 million Ghanaian population. With all due respect, our Motherland Ghana, on fire; and anybody pushing away the call for the STATE OF EMERGENCY on galamsey, is just simply asking Ghanaians to use buckets to put off the fire instead of water tankers. If such people begin to see some of their family members giving birth to malformed babies, probably they will see how the galamsey menace is so close to them.
Respectfully, some people are making the lame argument that, the STATE OF EMERGENCY on galamsey will prevent people from going on with their genuine or rightful duties, and that it will bring untold hardships to innocent people. This emotive argument is invalid; and with the greatest respect, such people are unknowingly throwing huge dust onto the eyes of the public. The state of emergency will be specific to galamsey operations, unauthorized possession and movement of mining chemicals and equipment shall be a crime against the state. How this direct
measure targeted to deal with the galamsey menace and the industry around it affect
farming activities and daily economic and business ventures of the residents in the enclave is the biggest joke of the century.
ALTERNATIVE LIVELIHOODS FOR THE YOUTH IN GALAMSEY
The call for the introduction of alternative livelihoods for the youth in the galamsey endemic areas is a very important one. Accordingly, as far as the youth, who are in galamsey are concerned, wherever they are, they can be assembled and given aggressive and effective EDUCATION on the terrible CONSEQUENCES of their activities at the galamsey sites. This should be the point of contact where the need emerges also to encourage them to embrace alternative and sustainable livelihoods.
It is my firm belief that if the said youth are given aggressive and effective EDUCATION on the terrible CONSEQUENCES of their galamsey business, they will NOT allow themselves to be misused by some of the political party financiers, who are heavily involved in the terrible devastation of our arable farmlands and water bodies through galamsey.
After the said education, interested youth, who want to be employed for the reclamation of the devasted lands and water bodies, should be registered for employment, that goes with a living wage, to enable them to take care of themselves and their families.
The youth in the land reclamation and afforestation programme, should be encouraged to take care of the trees planted, until such time that, they can be migrated onto the government’s flash ship programming of agribusiness.
The protocol for reclamation of land in galamsey endemic areas should emphasis that, NO FOOD CROPS SHOULD BE PLANTED IN THE CONTAMINATED AREAS, since the heavy metals stay in the soil for very long periods. Rather, economic trees should be planted to prevent people from consuming poisonous chemicals that are already embedded in the soil, and which the crops will absorb eventually.
CONCLUSION
It is the opinion of many that galamseyers, who are bent on continuously poisoning Ghanaians and 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.
Written By:
Rev. Fr. Ignatius James Yaw Amponsah
Akyem Ntronang
Mobile: (0240744686)
Source: newsghana.com.gh
