After years of incessant calls to address illegal mining in the country, the Akuffo-Addo and Bawumia led government seems to have now heard the cries of the citizens. At least citizens now see a course of action to address the issue.
At least, since last year, there have been several warnings of a nation-wide protest by various groups regarding the decades long issue of illegal mining activities, popularly known as ‘Galamsey.’ This was informed by the evident threat posed by the environmental degrading activity. Several water bodies have been rendered polluted as a result.
A major concern has also been that people are mining in forest reserves although there are clear laws prohibiting such conducts.
Experts have been warning that soon, the country might have to resort to importing water should there be no immediate action to provide solutions. Apart from that, experts have also warned that there is a possibility that the health sector would record more cases of children born with several deformities should women have to continue consuming water bodies polluted by illegal mining activities.
Galamsey has also affected the country’s cocoa production rate in recent years as farmers now give out their cocoa farmlands to miners in exchange for profit, they lament they barely make in their cocoa business.
Following these gruesome threats, different groups took to the street to register their displeasure on government’s inaction or rather, reluctance to act.
With daily pressure in the form of protests mounting on government, it finally decided to deploy military personnels to illegal mining sites where it is seen that miners are arrested and their tools set ablaze.
Even so, there is no denying that government’s way of dealing with the issue leaves much more to be desire.
Is government arresting the wrong people?
Several people have been arrested in the wake of a crackdown on illegal mining sites. But an important question is as to whether or not they are the owners of these mining sites. This question is relevant to addressing the problem from its root cause. It has been alleged that sometimes the same people who get arrested for engaging in illegal mining activities, are later seen on the same sites again. How does that happen?
This clearly indicates that there is always a big fish to catch but it seems the security services turn a blind sight to these people, as it appears they might be people with high political power. Therefore, it is always the employees at the illegal mining sites that are used as scapegoats, usually a way just to pacify concerned citizens.
In 2023, a former chairman, Dr. Frimpong Boateng of an interministerial committee on illegal mining issues released a report revealing names of top government officials who were allegedly involved in the activity. The report was subjected to scrutiny mostly by the ruling government and was later downplayed by the Attorney General for a supposed lack of evidence to aid prosecution. This posture of the AG seems to suggest that Dr. Boateng ought to have produced some evidence of the matter. While this may be well in order, as a matter of safeguarding our environment, it should also be well in order that the AG facilitate rigorous investigations to ascertain the veracity of the report and prosecute the culprits.
Is there an internal appeasement politics at play?
The reluctance to provide immediate solutions to the environmentally threatening activity also makes one wonder if both parties at the helm of governance are complicit in the act. Discussions turn to reveal that such mining activities are the source of funding for campaigns of these major parties and thus makes it difficult if not impossible, to eradicate. With election just around the corner, it is in doubt that government truly wants to solve the issue. Furthermore, if the opposition party were not a culprit, would they remain soft in demanding solutions?
It seems the protest has ceased for now, and the only result it yielded so far was government being forced to make scapegoat of a few employees at some illegal mining sites, most likely leaving the bosses of these lands. At the moment, it seems pacifying enough to the government and to an extent, some citizens.
But the truth is galamsey, if should be properly tackled, needs a much more robust and non-partisan solutions. That is, if we truly have the conscience to priortize our own safety and that of future generations.
Source: Dehotpress
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