Thank You, President Mahama!

QUOTE: 'After flying in a helicopter to ascertain for himself the extent of damage caused to the land and water bodies of Akyem Abuakwa by activities of illegal miners … known as 'galamsayers', President Mahama … tagged the area as the headquarters of illegal mining in the country. 'I flew all the way to this place and when you monitor the extent of damage caused to the land and our water, you will feel sorry for yourselves. President Mahama…. said, the activities of the illegal miners was an impediment to efforts to protect water bodies. 'Hitherto you could drink from the Birim river, nowadays anyone who dares drink the Birim risks losing his life…We must protect what God gave us so that generations after us will not regret,' he admonished.

UNQUOTE
I want to thank President Mahama for telling the story of Akyem Abuakwa and galamsey exactly as it is. I have recently been weeping bitter tears while contemplating the way in which galamsey operators have been allowed to wantonly destroy the water bodies and the food farms of Akyem Abuakwa, in their greedy endeavour to win gold from Akyem and other lands. Here are six of the articles I have written on the subject:

1. http://www.dailyguideghana.com/does-president-john-mahama-want-to-be-impeached/ .
  http://cameronduodu.com/uncategorized/this-galamsey-thing-has-become-a-war
  http://cameronduodu.com/uncategorized/chinese-fortune-hunters-and-galamsey-in-ghana
  http://www.newafricanmagazine.com/features/how-galamsey-is-ruining-rural-ghana
  http://cameronduodu.com/uncategorized/okyeman-alone-can-save-itself
http://www.modernghana.com/news/505068/1/a-chat-with-hon-samuel-atta-akyea-mp.html

In each of the articles, I have argued that what is going on is a war being waged with impunity against our environment by a few people - sometimes with the collaboration of stupid elements in the very communities being rampaged. And I have called upon the authorities to consider the matter to be an emergency of the most urgent nature and put the full weight of the state behind efforts to stop it.

The Government of Ghana set up a Task Force to try and uproot the problem. But I knew that governmental action alone would not suffice to root galamsey out. To begin with, the Government, especially the President, was sending a mixed message to the galamsey operators, which could encourage them to do it but not get caught, or at best, confuse them. Thus only the affected people themselves could take the decisive action needed to teach the galamsey operators that nowhere in the world are people expected to sit down with their arms folded, when rivers and streams bequeathed to them by their ancestors as the source of their very lives, are wantonly destroyed by others out of greed for gold. No-one must collaborate in his own murder, I wrote.

In order not to leave my readers with the idea that I am an impractical person who indulges in talking hot air, I have reminded the people of Akyem Abuakwa - whose system of government I am best acquainted with - that each village and town has its own asafo (organisation of the masses) whose primary duty is to ensure the safety and welfare of the people collectively. Without the agreement of these asafo groups, no chief can be enstooled or destooled. No chief's funeral can be performed. And they go into the forests to look for villagers who get 'lost' in the woods, either because they have fallen into pits or rivers, or have been killed by falling trees during a storm, or have been attacked and killed by highwaymen or rapists.

The asafo groups still exist. But they do need a determined leadership. Their traditional leaders are their chiefs. But these days, many chiefs do not take their leadership role seriously. Many chiefs just like to sit in their palanquins during festivals, with richly embroidered silk umbrellas twirling above their heads. What these chiefs forget is the dictum, laid down by their illustrious predecessors, that:

Yemmfre wo Ohene kwa! Opanin kwa! (We do not call you a Chief or Elder for nothing!)

Indeed, in the days when honour was synonymous with chieftaincy, any Chief who sat down for the President of his country to come to his capital to tell him that the capital was the 'headquarters' of a social iniquity of any sort, would take it as a indirect criticism of his inability to bring social evils in his chiefdom under control. And that chief would take steps to uphold his honour.

In one of the articles I have referenced above, I said that I think President Mahama's handling of the galamsey issue is impeachable. I am afraid the failure of Okyenhene and his State Council to mobilise the people of Akyem Abuakwa to take collective action to defend their water resources and their environment generally, is equally culpable.

It is time for the two authorities - the Central Government and the State Council - to get together and use all the technical resources available to Ghana - the organs of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR); the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); the Ministry of Works; and the Ministry in charge of Forestry and Lands, to take a scientific look at how the rivers, streams and farmlands that have been devastated, can best be resurrected.

It is not a time for recriminations. The situation is too grave for that.

Rescuing what can be rescued - even at this late stage - must be the only objective.

www.cameronduodu.com http://www.cameronduodu.com/
 By Cameron Duodu