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Thu, 06 Jun 2024 Feature Article

Do foreigners who are illegally in Ghana mining gold and felling trees with impunity not represent serious security threats?

Do foreigners who are illegally in Ghana mining gold and felling trees with impunity not represent serious security threats?

On World Environmental Day, the question and issue that came readily to mind, the most, dear critical-reader, and ought to be pondered over by wise and aspirational Africans, such as the good people of Ghana, who deeply care about, and passionately love Mother Ghana, is: Do all the foreigners living illegally in Ghana, and audaciously mining gold illegally under the guise of prospecting for the metal, and who are engaged in felling trees illegally, to profit from chainsaw bushcut lumber production, not pose serious security threats to the stability and longterm future of Ghana?

It is against those egregious on-the-ground assaults by sundry foreigners on the remainder of our priceless natural heritage, known personally to one, that made one to nearly fall off one's chair, when one heard the head of the Fanteakwa South District Security Council (FSDiSeC), the District Chief Executive (DCE) of the Fanteakwa South District Assembly, Hon. Ernest Ofosu, telling Peace FM's Michael Akrofi, that because of the situation in the Sahelian region, those lawless illegal migrants (who have metaphorically flooded mining towns across the Fanteakwa South District), can't be deported from Ghana. Amazing.

How can a District Security Council head be unaware that there isn't a security crisis in the Sahelian nations of Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea and Niger - and that on the contrary, their military leaders have reorganised grassroots security to enable them successfully counter the threat posed by destabilising French imperialistic robbery in daylight (through unconscionable agreements, which hitherto enslaved their peoples), and that far from their nationals here illegally being at risk if deported from our country, if Ghana were to approach those Sahelian region leaders to engage them on the issue of their nationals who are in Ghana illegally, engaging in ecocidal illegalities such as destroying our natural heritage with impunity, across the Fanteakwa South District, for example, they will be quick to assist the Fanteakwa South District Security Council to help the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) to screen and deport all of them back to their own home countries, for sure?

Furthermore, based on their stellar track records thus far, of successfully empowering their base-of-the-pyramid demographics since seizing power, all deported illegal migrants from the nations of the Sahelian region, will be assisted by their national authorities (led by their national military leaders: Niger's General Abdourahamane Tiani; Mali's Colonel Assimi Goita and Burkina Faso's Interim President, Capt Ibrahim Traore), to reintegrate into civil society in their home countries, very quickly, and successfully. Full stop.

Finally, dear critical-reader, it is in light of all the above that one says without any hesitation or equivocation, whatsoever, that nothing untoward will happen to any of the many illegal migrants who are here illegally, to engage in illegal gold mining and illegal logging for the production of chainsaw bushcut lumber production, if they are deported back to their own home countries en masse, and that such deportations from our country, should therefore be carried out by the Ghana Immigration Service asap, as their presence in Ghanaian mining towns, does actually pose serious security threats to the peace, stability and longterm well-being of our beleaguered and bankrupted Republic, oooo, Ghanafuor. Yoooooooo. A word to the wise...

Kofi Thompson
Kofi Thompson, © 2024

Writer & activist for environmental justice & human rights. . More Born into a farming family, I speak truth to power to amplify the voices of victims of injustice.Column: Kofi Thompson

Disclaimer: "The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect ModernGhana official position. ModernGhana will not be responsible or liable for any inaccurate or incorrect statements in the contributions or columns here." Follow our WhatsApp channel for meaningful stories picked for your day.

Comments

Kwabena Ansa | 6/6/2024 7:40:01 PM

Kofi, that is a great question. I believe Ghanaians are patiently waiting to get the official response to your question from the government of Akuffo-Addo. Whether it will have the courage to be truthful to the people is yet to be seen and it is anybody's guess. It is unfortunate and no wonder, and mind-numbing Akuffo -Addo administration from all accounts is perceived by most Ghanaians as being friendly and in bed with and in the pockets of those illegal foreigners, because his government h...

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