How to bring the chaotic and insanity in the Mining Sector to a logical Conclusion - Part Two

The existential threat being caused by Small Scale Mining has made Ghana to be at a Cross Road. Ghana as Gold Coast and during the period of the British Colonial Masters allowed banned Small Scale Mining though Surface Mining dubbed as Galamasey in broken English by the locals ) in 1907, 1926 and 1933, among other reasons was to protect the environment. Restricted Mining to Underground Mining

The ban on Small Scale Mining through Surface Mining was kept banned or enforced in 1962 by Act 1962 in the early of the post-Independence era by President Dr Nkrumah for similar reasons. It remained banned until it was lifted by the PNDC in 1986 during the Economy Recovery Program (ERP) as part of the Structural Adjustment Program (SAP) under the support of the IMF/World Bank.

In order to attract Foreign Direct Investment, the Minerals and Mining Law 1986 (PNDC Law 153) was enacted and the Minerals Commission was established in 1986 to act as the Regulator for a planned introduction of Surface Mining with it massive destruction of the environment especially arable lands was

Surface Mining around Dumase area near Bogoso started in 1987 by Canadian Bogoso Resources which later on metamorphosed into Belington Bogoso Ltd that led to public outcry against Surface Mining. This gave birth to WACAM, the first Ghanaian NGO by Dr Daniel Koranteng and the wife Mrs Hannah Koranteng against Surface Mining with the rest of Ghana as Spectators or unconcerned.

The ban on Small Scale Mining through Surface Mining was initiated lifted by the PNDC by section 77 of the Minerals and Mining Act 1986 (PNDC Law153) as part of formalization of Small Scale Mining (local parlance as galamasey law). Which made it clear it will only be authorized if and only it was on the interest of the Community. Though it was restricted to citizens of Ghana but by the letter and spirit of the law it restricted it to the rural folks.

The Small Scale Mining law 1989 (PNDC218) was enacted and it defined Small Scale Mining as a Method which does not involve substantial expenditure and sophisticated equipment at Section21

Between 1989 and 2010, Large Scale Mining Companies solely fought against Small Scale Miners competing for the Ore Reserves in their Concessions as declared to the Market or to the Investment Communities/ shareholders.

Over 300 Ghanaians sent to China by the Government of Ghana between 2007 and 2008 to understudy mining by the Chinese, made business contacts with the Chinese. So these group of Ghanaians reportedly as Registered Small Scale Miners invited their Chinese friends or businessmen to come to Ghana for them to collaborate in Small Scale Mining due to an ambiguous new Small Scale Mining Law enacted in 2006

The Ghanaian Authorities were warned by the BNI Officers including the late Mr Justice Tzar of the likely potential threat the Chinese may cause to the State of Ghana. Nothing was done rather the Immigration freely issued visas the numerous Chinese effective 2008, the year that saw the Chinese entry into Small Scale Mining. A lot of literature warning of or indicating the participation of Chinese openly in Small Scale Mining restricted by law to only Ghanaians were initiated in 2008. Knowing that man is greedy but the Ghanaian is very greedy. Ghana should have enacted better mining laws and regulations to cure possible risks. Unfortunate Ghana did the opposite to aid criminality thus turned Ghana into a crime scene. Read the reports on the rot in the banking system where depositors money banked with them were diverted to related parties for the established of Group of Conglomerates Hmm, billions of Ghana Cedis given to some of the banks by Bank of Ghana as bail out were either diverted to related parties or misapplied.

These reports are telling of the greediness of the Ghanaians. I salute President Mahama and the Seventh Parliament of the Fourth Republic for the Banking and Depositing Collecting Institutions Law 2016 (Act 930) without which Bank of Ghana under Dr Wampah was toothless. Once again, I salute Dr Ernest Addison Governor of Bank of Ghana and his deputies with the testicular fortitude acted decisively.

Enter Small Scale Mining as the enemy. The Government of Ghana did a good job in 2011 and saw Small Scale Mining as a threat to water bodies etc in 2011 or so, the year that saw the then Minister of Lands and Natural Resources namely Hon Mr Mike Hammer leading a team to initiate dawn attack at Sites of Small Scales Miners operating in and near rivers especially the Ankobra river near Prestea. Over 7 excavators were seized and handed to Bogoso Gold Ltd through myself to convey to the Military Barracks at Apremdo camping/housing the Second Battalion. These excavators were returned to the owners by the then National Security Coordinator.

The Government of Ghana was actually woke up or was called to action to deal with the Chinese involvement in Small Scale Miners was in 2013. Since, then Ghana fought against Small Scale Mining as an environmental enemy. Hence, we have been fighting against the menace of Small Scale Mining for over 11 years without success.

There must be something very wrong with us. Hmm, we have made more than three very serious blunders especially failure or refusing to identify the enemy which as a seasoned former Military Officer with mining security operation experience, gained in a Large Scale Mining Company, I have identified the National Environment Disaster or threat as SMALL SCALE MINING and Parliament the bad boy of the three Arms of Governments for promoting and motivating the enemy since 2012.

So let us stop the cacophony or the act of buffoonery that all licensed Small Scale Miners are doing good job. Really. Google for the Auditor General Report for 2020 on Small Scale Mining Companies. We stupidly sat down and allowed the media to mess up things in the mining sector with the terms illegal mining, ban, (hmm some say ban illegal mining), Small Scale Mining and Galamasey. Confusing galore. The World Bank and the participants in an International Seminar in May 1995 were/are 100 percent right with the conclusion that SMALL SCALE MINING (GALAMASEY in broken English) has come to Stay like Prostitution.

So, my Ghana people shine your eyes oh. The enemy is Small Scale Mining, demand for the revoke of all Small Scale Mining Licenses and navigate them to either Large Scale Mining Sector or a new or additional Medium Scale Mining Sector for to comply with local and International Standards. The so called licensed Small Scale Miners are the ones who brought the poor Chinese including the innocent Aisha Huang as a wife business partner and Interpreter. So we made more than three mistakes and continue to be making very big mistakes, because we started marching or dancing with a wrong foot, and continue to do so with wrong to music.

The first big mistake is failing or rather refusing to understand that the name of our real enemy as given by our Colonial masters from Britain, hence in very good English is SMALL SCALE MINING which our ancestors who could not speak good (broken English) or local parlance or no knowledge in economy termed it as GALAMASEY. Hence, we failed to appreciate that GALAMASEY is synonymous with SMALL SCALE MINING (that a decorated donkey is still a donkey since the characteristics are the same, hence no difference or the value is the same, and the differences is just a matter of semantics).

So we need to be very coherent when in the same wavelength so if we want to communicate in English, say in the channel of Joy news or TV3 or Channel One or Metro TV, English broadcasting Station then use SMALL SCALE MINING and in local language broadcast stations say in UTV or Peace FM with Chairman General on the driving Seat and as usual of him, he will asked you to speak in Twi throughout, so use GALAMASEY which is the right word in Twi for the time tested activity of Small Scale Mining. Note, it is a necessary evil emanating since the days of Prophet Abraham done to by the operators in millions, nomadic in character, in order to escape from poverty misery. Just like Jamaine is the Twi translation for Prostitution which also existed since the days of Prophet Abraham and a necessary evil by the operators as poverty alleviation.

We should not allow any of the operators to divide us by saying that as for me Adjoa I am a licensed Prostitute but Abena is not a licensed Prostitute, Hmm with License or no License the value is the same both are Prostitutes. So let halt the buffoonery of license Small Scale Miners if we really understand the meaning of Small Scale Mining as a potential existential threat that need strict close monitory by formalization with Community Mining Permits and not by license,

In fact the license Miners are the most dangerous because they use their licenses some as fake ones to lure foreign investors like the Chinese and through we have Chinese equipment as Chafang. . My personnel ever arrested Aisha Huang and a Ghanaian Pilot of a private airline, around Manpon near Dunkwa in the Concession of Bogoso Mine. Based on their story that someone sold it to them, the GM educated them on acquisition of Mining Rights and that Foreigners are not allowed to operate in the Small Scale Mining Sector, he empathized with them and warned them not go there again otherwise the next time he would hand them over for prosecution.

The second big mistake is that we do not understand what illegal mining is, what Small Scale Mining is and in local parlance it is termed as Galamasey and Large Scale Mining. Large Scale Mining or Mechanized Mining in the Economy Sector, is a method of mining done by Mining Companies with huge capital expenditure and sophisticated equipment for wealth creation, which comply or are required to Comply with both local and International Standards.

Additional Large Scale Mining Companies, operate at fixed areas with elaborate infrastructure (building, equipment etc) with experts in various relevant fields and very good hierarchical management system working under strict Regulations and Monitoring by the Minerals Commission and EPA, and are members of the Nation’s Chamber of Mines so for Ghana, the Ghana Chamber of Mines which is with International Affiliation due to most of her members are Multinationals.

Small Scale Mining or Galamasey in local parlance is a method of mining done globally by operators including women and children numbering in millions with no skills or little skills who operate with simple tools hence no sophisticated equipment and with no substantial expenditure, who regard their mining activity or the gold as a gift from God for them to escape from their poverty misery, hence poverty alleviation. Also they do not care for the environment, their health, their safety and that of others when in search for gold and out of their quest for gold, they move from place to place that is nomadic in character.

Illegal Mining is simply a breach of any of the Mining Laws or Regulation or not working per the Agreement or what is spelt out in the permit. A company or operator say a driver with or without license is not immune from breaking a rule. Newmont or AGA Obuasi Mine or Goldfields may break or breach a law or regulation. Let me give an example. In 2004, Bogoso Mine, in an attempt to clear her Prestea Concession in order to dig with excavator for gold ore, had to clear the proposed pit site free of Tailings or waste dumped at the area by a previous Mining Company. This tailings was found to contain gold so the Company carried some of it to her Process Plant to process or refine into gold bullion. When it came to notice of the then Chief Inspector of Mines (then Mr Stephen Piedu), he ordered the Company to stop treating the Waste or Tailings, because mining of the Tailings was not covered in the Lease Agreement, hence Bogoso Mine did an illegal mining within her own concession.

So it is technically wrong to interchange illegal mining with Galamasey which is in local parlance for Small Scale Mining which is simply a termed in economy as an informal economy activity which required to be formalized. For instance, if Goldfields breached a mining law by an act, we say the act is illegal mining, it will be very wrong to say that Goldfields committed Galamasey, which is a method of mining. Note that before the coming of the Chinese, the licensed Small Scale Miners employ large number of men, women, children as Galamasey operators for digging, gathering, collecting, hauling, breaking the rocks etc under his or her permits. So you cannot say that they are doing illegal mining, technically or economy we termed their method with simple tools, with their hands or work manually, as Small Scale Mining.

The third mistake is the worst one due to our very poor knowledge of about our history (Political History of Ghana), otherwise like what President Mahama ever said, Ghanaians have very short memories may be true. For instance, the establishment of Komenda Sugar Production Series was not based on feasibility studies and or on the history of the Old Komenda Sugar Factory. I understand we want to rebuild the Bolga Meat Factory, failing to note that the land has been encroached and the raw meat those days was actually not from Ghana but from outside Ghana. Same with the tomatoes factory.

Report had it that the old Komenda Factory had a smaller Sugar Mill with a crushing capacity of 1000 metric tons per day and was located in 1965 at an area, that is at a time when/where it enjoyed free abundant arable land under cultivation by a combined effort of Cooperative farmers/individual farmers and the State Farms Corporation but could not get enough feed from farms within the ideal requirement of the 40 miles radius to the Sugar Mill in particular.

So it was producing below 30 percent. So one wonders, what went into the minds of our leaders that caused the establishment of the Sugar Production Series at Komenda with a Sugar Mill now with a bigger crushing capacity of 1,250 metric tonnes per day in the Fourth Republic, thus after several years, when they should know very of the likelihood of no more free abundant arable land within the 40 miles radius to the Sugar Mill component of the three Standalones units of Sugar Plantation, the Sugar Mill which must be 40 miles radius within reach of the Sugar Mill. The Sugar Refinery can be anywhere in Ghana or the World to enjoy the economies of scale. Location of industry which per supply of inputs and demand of finish goods should operate 24/7 throughout the year as 24 hours economy.

We failed or refused to understand that our Constitution is based on the history of Ghana’s experience or Political life so it is an update or a fine tuned of the 1979 Constitution which was an update of previous Constitutions. Check you will find only few differences between the 1979 Constitution and 1992 Constitution.

Enter the Mining Sector. The Hon Members of the third Parliament of the Fourth Republic in 2006 due to our very poor knowledge about Ghana‘s history or their failure to undertake research on Small Scale the global or the World Bank definition Mining of and its term locally in Ghana, so they did not know or failed to note that because Small Scale Mining was/is a potential destroyer of the environment/ existential threat, was the reason the Colonial Masters banned Small Scale Mining by Surface Mining in 1907, 1926, 1933 during the era of Gold Coast and restricted mining to Underground mining. Note Mining started in the various separate or independent areas under Chiefs say Kingdoms in the 7^th Century which in the 20^th Century were combined to form the Gold Coast. This ban was sustained or enforced in 1962 by Mining Act 1962 by the founder of the Nation namely President Dr Nkrumah for the same reason of protecting of the environment.

To continue to protect the environment, Small Scale Mining (Galamasey in local parlance) remained ban until 1986 when as part of the Economic Recovery Program under the Support of the IMF and the World Bank, as part of poverty alleviation measure (PAMSCAD), the PNDC lifted the ban on Small Scale Mining with Section 77 of the Minerals and Mining Law 1986 (PNDC Law 153) Google for it and Read and you will tell it was Small Scale Mining Law or Galamasey Law.

It was alleged that it was the World Bank due to its principal objective or vision of alleviation of extreme poverty globally, motivated the PNDC to formalize Galamasey (Small Scale Mining). So as part of the legalization and formalization of Galamasey which is the local Parlance of Small Scale Mining, the PNDC as part of the economy recovery program enacted the Small Scale Mining Law 1989 (PNDCLaw 218). Both laws were clear on Small Scale Mining that it will only be allowed if and only if it was in the interest of the affected Community. PNDC Law 218 gave the very clear meaning or definition of Small Scale Mining at Section 21 on interpretation, as a mining operation which does not involve substantial expenditure and sophisticated equipment. Our new law did not capture these requirements, hence the reason for the massive destruction of the environment with sophisticated equipment without revoking the licenses for breaches.,

So the Small Scale Mining Law is a Galamasey Law in local parlance. Google for Sweltering heat golden dreams, Chinese galamasey for an article by a Chinese Journalist who published this article in Chinese and English in 2015, it is very revealing. It speaks of a confirmation by Officials of Minerals Commission, (Mr Tetteh, the Head of Small Scale Mining and the Lawyer of the Commission on the reason for the Small Scale Mining Law which both Officials told him it was basically Galamasey Law. This was also confirmed by Dr Tony Aubyn, a former CEO of Minerals Commission, in a forum at Wassa Akropong during in 2017 as part of the Regional tour of the Team for dealing with gathering inputs on Small Scale Mining and for the way forward put up by the President in 2017.

It should be noted that by the global or technical definition of Small Scale Mining, Tycoons who can buy at least Aboboya Motor Tricycle will not be allowed in any civilized Society to operate Small Scale Mining, an informal activity by poor citizens for survival, because man by nature is a greedy animal . So, some Ghanaians with the support of family members fronting for foreigners to acquire numerous concessions should have been factored in the making of the Small Scale Mining law and design it to disallow usage of substantial expenditure and sophisticated equipment and requirement, the size of mining area a company or person can get etc as in the PNDC Law 218. Also it should have captured the requirement that Small Scale Mining is permissible if and only if it is the interest of the Community thus implying a social license requirement hence approval of the Community, by this requirement it will have made the Community Leaders to own the risk, thus they would not be spectators but responsible for their environment including their rivers, land, farms etc.

So Parliament, the House of Representation of the People in 2006 failed the nation with an ambiguous Small Scale Mining Law. Parliament should have enacted a separate law for Cooperative or Community Mining as a law to regulate it for poverty alleviation not for wealth creation and should have made rich tycoons like Chairman Wontumi to operate under Medium Mining Sector or Large Scale Mining Sector as Junior Companies, so that they pay lesser fees or hold a lower threshold as the minimum capital.

Once again, Small Scale Mining is a method of mining operation for only Ghanaians by which no sophisticated equipment must be allowed, otherwise, it would afford lucrative chances for foreigners to give their equipment including excavators, chafang to Ghanaians to work with. So it was unfortunate that a law was passed in 2012 as Minerals and Mining Support Services Regulations (LI 2174) for support services in the Small Scale Mining Sector which had/ has the propensity to induce corruption in the sector.

It is this very very not good law that motivated the Chinese to invade Ghana with thousands of excavators within a split of a second time, like locust invading a maize farm. Check with the Ghana Chamber of Mines and you will be informed that the total number of excavators for mining by all the Large Scale Mining Companies is not up to 40. But some individual Small Scale Mining Companies had or have over 40 excavators on their Mining sites due to this bad law, so the massive destruction of the environment is expected.

This bad laws must be repealed now. Parliament to reset the Small Scale Mining Law to conform to the Interpretation of Small Scale Mining Operation as at section 21 of Minerals and Mining Law 1989 (PNDC 218). This is the parent law which the PNDC put in place with the support of the World Bank to formalize Galamasey, hence it was known as the Galamasey Law for the interest of the millions of Galamasey (Artisanal and Small Mining Scale) Operators including women and children.

The Hon MPs in 2006 failed to take note that the Small Scale Mining was to enable the exploitation of the mission of the World Bank for funds to help people in extreme poverty (PAMSCAD), so in 1986 during the Economic Recovery Program, the PNDC through the recommendation and support of the World Bank lifted the ban on Small Scale Mining which was imposed by the Colonial Masters in 1907, then again in 1926 and 1933 in the Gold Coast era.

The Regime of the CPP under the Founder of the Nation Ghana namely Dr Nkrumah also banned with Act 1962. Unfortunately, Minerals and Mining Regulation Support Service 2012 (LI2174) which I envisaged as the enemy or problem of Ghana because due to this law, Ghana was invaded by Chinese effective 2012 with thousands of excavators from China to operate Small Scale Mining with their Ghanaian Collaborators. At a point in time over 40 excavators were found in a mining field or concession of one individual or a Small Scale Mining Company. So, you can imagine the devastation these 40 excavator may cause within a split of a second or by the end of a day.

Ghanaian Tycoons have the propensity to front for foreigners or collaborate with foreigners, so they should operate under Large Scale Mining Sector or Medium Scale Mining Sector by use of established Limited Liability Companies with a minimum threshold of capital investment below that for Large Scale Mining Companies. But the Companies to be made to abide by the same laws and regulations applicable to Large Scale Mining Companies. This is to ensure that the Regulators like Minerals Commission, EPA, Forestry Commission and Water Commission etc can deal with an offending Company.

Another very very not good law which was enacted in 2015 and prone to cause massive destruction of the environment and corrupt or greedy acts and as such, it needs to be repealed immediately is the law that denied the Precious Minerals Marketing Company (PMMC) its exclusive right or monopoly to buy and export gold from the Small Scale Mining Sector and bring 100 percent of the sales to Ghana. The PNDC established Precious Minerals and Marketing Company Law 1989 (PNDC Law 219) as part of the legalization and formalization of Small Scale Mining after the enactment of 1989, to prevent smuggling, hording or keeping of the gold because it belong to the state on the citizens as in Article 257 section 6. So it was an offence for a miner to keep gold with him without accounting and selling to the PMMC or by the authorization of PMMC which will be by purchase and receipted before you can keep.

The law 2015 allowed tycoons to do the buying and exporting of gold from the Small Scale Mining Sector and only bring 20 percent of the sales to Ghana and keep 80 percent outside tells that our Leaders are not helping Ghana at all. The reason Ghana is having a problem of not getting enough dollars may be due to this very not good law (bad law). This bad law met or meets the interest of Ghanaians who had/ have the propensity to front for foreigners. This was one of the reason I supported the gold for oil deal because it was a very smart way for the Nation to increase her gains from 20 percent to 40 percent from the export of gold from the Small Scale Mining Sector.

Once again, the possibility of some greedy bullion buying and exporting companies sponsoring the madness in the Small Mining Sector effective 2016 for huge sales should have been considered by Parliament. Also the issue of allowing them to keep 80 percent outside Ghana was a total madness. Since PMMC was granted by the PNDC, the exclusive right in buying and exporting of bullion was for very good reasons beside improving the foreign exchange was to ensure no fueling of small scale mining thus causing massive destruction of the environment. Otherwise, the PNDC would have established Precious Minerals Board (PMB) akin to COCOBOD so that PMB could also be motivated to indulge in the Robbing Peter to Paul method as done with the yearly ritual syndicated loan by COCOBOD in the Cocoa sector. .

I recommend the replacement of the apparent bad laws with (a). A law that reset Ghana by updating the Small Scale Mining Law 1989 (PNDCL218) to accept Community and Cooperative Mining (b). introduce a Medium Scale Mining Sector for Ghanaians tycoons and navigate all licensed Small Scale Mining Companies to the Medium Scale Mining Sector to operate under strict supervision of Minerals Commission Inspectorate division. Then repeal the law that disallowed PMMC to perform her role of 100 percent exporting of gold from the Small Scale Mining Sector as established by the PNDC with PMMC act 1989 (PNDC 219).

So I envisaged the ambiguous or bad law on Small Scale Mining which was passed by the Parliament of the regime of President Kofour has and is fueling the massive Small Scale Mining activities, it is therefore recommended that the Parliament of Ghana through an urgent bill from the Executive (President) or through a private member Bill must repeal without delay the bad Sections on Small Scale Mining etc of the Minerals and Mining Act 2006 (Act 703) and power Minerals Commission to revoke all licenses issued for Small Scale Mining operations and replace them with medium Scale or Large Mining Right or Lease to operate by strict regulations .

The above narrations means the Solution(s) being demanded by UTAG and others should be holistic/ nonpartisan collaborative effort with the involvement of the full spectrum in the nation especially the Political Parties, the Academia, the TUC, the Ghana Bar Association, Ghana Medical Association, Ghana Chamber of Mines/Large Scale Mining Companies, the International Community including the World Bank, USAID etc, Minerals Commission, Forestry Commission, Lands Commission, EPA, Water Resources Commission, the Chieftaincy Institution, National Peace Council, Judiciary, the Small Scale Mining Association or Community, the Faith Base Institutions, relevant NGOs, relevant Security Organizations, Reps from the Association of Private Security Organization, for them to come out with full range of measures as stated below.

The measures should include Politically (look at the laws and regulations and the necessary political support and the Role of Regional Coordinating Council and District Coordinating Council, Role of REGSEC, DISEC), , Economically ( Alternative Livelihood etc) , Socially (the role of REGSEC/DISEC Chiefs, Media, the public), Psychologically, Religiously (continuous preaching against mining at wrong places) , Militarism (use of both State Security and Private Security) , Academically and a continuous citizen awareness program in the protection of the environment to be done concurrently for a least four years.

A Combined Taskforce of the Military and Police to be used to evict all miners excluding LARGE SCALE MINNG COMPANIES and then 2/7 operations by private security to hold liberated areas with a system of checkpoints, patrols and static guards or sentries as well as to harass those may return to work at wrong areas. That is after the eviction of miners at the no go areas, adequate Security personnel (Guards) of the Private Security Companies to be used to hold grounds regarded as no go areas for 48 months as part of the consolidation effort.

I do understand the situation, So I wish to make myself available for duty for my State, just like what I did in 2017 when I could not accept the nonsense in the Small Scale Mining Sector. So on 20 April 2017 I rose to the occasion and prepared a suggested dossier for the fight against the rot in the Small Scale Mining Sector and submitted to the President of Ghana.

To ginger the public for collaborative effort against illegal mining and not to act as spectators and thus leave the fight to only the troops of OPERATIONS VANGUAD (the Military Taskforce), I organized a press conference in Kumasi on 20 April 2017 with the support of one of my brothers namely Mr Bawa Gariba Adams and one Mr David Sarpong at my personal cost as my contribution for a better Ghana. Google for Support the Push to stop illegal mining dated 20 April 2017 as published by Modern Ghana.

This is to confirm that my submissions are usual about Ghana First, on a Better Ghana Agenda. Yes some may appear offensive but I need to be honest and bold to say it as it is or by calling a spade a spade (the genes of BOGOBIRI) . So, the details as published by the GNA on the website of Modern Ghana on 20 April 2017 for collective effort (and not act as spectators thus allowing things to go bad and start screaming, are valid today and tomorrow for the consideration by the TUC, the Office of Ashantehene, GMA, UTAG, GBA, Media Houses, and Faith Base Organizations etc.

We should consider to get the IGP to establish Checkpoints at relevant areas to deny fuel in IBC Containers, drums, 27 liters of Kofour Gallons to Mining Sites. Civilian elements to monitor the Police operations at the Checkpoints. Fuel in IBC Containers or 27 liters Containers or yellow Gallons for good purposes should be covered by permit from the DCE

So l will update my document for the attention of the President of Ghana on a suggested 48 months Operation with the Admin or Civil Management system to be neutral or nonpartisan say under Dr Joyce Aryee to sought for additional funds and manage the whole funding aspect. But the Operation side to be decided by National Security or the Military and Private Security elements under my Control for 48 months Operation with 12 hours per shift to be done 24/7 to contain the accepted Small Scale Mining or Community Mining by the very poor at the right places and deal a deadly blow to all Miners working at no go areas.

The Order of Battle (ORBATT) including the Strength of Manpower or the Taskforce, number of guards of the private security elements for holding the ground for 48 months without a break but on rotational basis with good relief operation and the total budget for the whole Operation, cost of rehabilitation (the backfilling of affected areas and cost of replanting or regrassing etc) will be submitted later.

To sustain the fight, additional Funding to be sought by the neutral Civilian Management system from the Public, VRA, Mining Companies, Ghana Water Company COCOBOD, etc, the International Community especially the World Bank which mission is to eliminate or reduce extreme poverty by investing in situation like Small Scale Mining which is an area of concerns to the World Bank due the millions of operators including women and children operating for survival.

So, the TUC, UTAC, Media Houses, Ghana Bar Association (GBA), Ghana Medical Association (GMA), Security Experts Other experts must stop screaming and rather do sober/critical reflections with a critical mindset on Small Scale Mining, especially its characteristics and related mining laws and ensure the use of full range of measures as stated. This is necessary due to the effects of irresponsible Small Scale Mining on the environment and Ecosystem (ecological system) as well as to their safety and health. It is envisaged that by this way Ghana would able to come out with effective lasting Solutions as suggested by the Ashantehene.

We need to be on the same wavelength, so, the questions which our intellectual community and Mining Scholars/ Experts, Historians, Economists, Social Scientists, and Security Experts need to answer are the following: (a). what is Small Scale Mining? (b). what is illegal mining? (c) What is Galamasey? (d). Which of the first two is Galamasey synonymous with/interchangeable? (e) What is the historical perspective of Galamasey? (f) Is Galamasey identified globally as Small Scale Mining?. (.g). Is Small Scale Mining both a National and International Security threat? (h) Why is the World Bank since 1994 is very much interested in releasing millions of dollars as grant for the welfare of operators of Small Scale Mining? (i) If that is the situation is it sensible to criminalize Galamsey or Small Scale Mining and or interchanging Galamasey with illegal Mining? (j) What should be done to halt the wrong interchanging of Galamasey with illegal mining? (k). Actions to reduce the threat to the environment?

Answers to the above questions will reveal that Illegal Mining is simply a breach of the Mining Laws, So any of the Large Scale Mining Companies like Newmont by accident or otherwise may breach any of the Mining laws/Regulations or EPA Laws and it would be technical wrong to say Newmont has done or committed Galamasey (gather and selling hence a method of mining). The punishment may be a fine and suspension or revoking of the Mining Right. A study of the current Small Scale Mining Law will reveal that it is very unambiguous and it failed to appreciate that Small Scale Mining was/is a potential national environmental enemy or a potential national disaster or existential threat which has come to stay.

A good research work will reveal Galamsey is synonymous with Small Scale Mining and it is the local parlance for Small Scale Mining because the characteristics of the two especially the involvement of millions operators including women and children who use simple implements, little or no money and regard their operation as a gift from God for them to escape from their poverty misery, they are nomadic by chasing the gold vein or move from an area to an area seen o consider with gold and destroy or clear whatever is an obstacle to them.

A research will reveal that the stated characteristics of Galamasey are the same with that of Small Scale mining globally hence not exclusive to Ghana. Report of Ghanaian Students studying abroad on Ghana Government Scholarship and were facing a delay in the payment of their Scholarship fees and as such forced to do Galamasey (Artisanal and Small Scale Mining) to escape from their poverty misery speaks volume of that Galamsey is for survival and not for wealth creation.

Further answers are that they have international character, they use explosives and their sites as possible recruiting centers may be visited by or have links with international terrorists or rebels. The story of a terrorist of Nigeria Nationality by name Umar Faruk Abddulmutallab who on 25 December 2009 attempted to use explosive to destroy a Northwest Airline aircraft in USA and that he visited Ghana’s Prestea Galamasey Site on 24 December 2009 on his way from Middle East to USA through Nigeria is telling very much. So the site of Small Scale Mining should be of National and International Security Interest.

An answer may suggest that Galamasey (Small Scale Mining) should not be criminalized which may spelt doom and or make it difficult to get grants millions of from the World Bank which fundamental objective is to reduce extreme poverty by investing in people, since the World Bank normally readily provides millions of dollars to manage the risk of Small Scale Mining by helping to navigate the Operators to Alternative Livelihood Projects.

So the issue of Alternative should be part of the national plan. USAID is doing a good job in Ivory Coast by navigating them to agribusiness through cultivation of avocado, cashew nut, mangoes, and beehives. So the Media or press should stop criminalizing it, the local parlance for Small Scale Mining in a local dialect.

It should be noted that the so called Licensed Small Scale Miners are the first accuse as the major illegal miners or the enemy of the State because majority if not all of them committed and are committing illegal mining either working with foreigners especially Chinese and with the usage of substantial expenditure and sophisticated equipment in Small Scale Mining . So the wrong notion of interchanging of illegal mining with Galamsey is fueling the problem. Since, the licensed Miner will tell that they are not doing Galamasey but they are doing Small Scale Mining but abundant reports including the Auditor General Report for 2020 on Small Scale Mining are telling of illegal mining by Licensed Small Scale Mining Companies.

So, we should stop screaming Chou boyeah yania breh qwah on the street and rather help our incompetent authorities both Parliament and the Executive to come out with good laws to help formalize Small Scale Mining and contain it with the use of both the Security Organization and Private Security Companies.

Our Universities should collaborate with the relevant Agencies the Minerals Development Fund, Common Fund, World Banks, USAID, Environmental Funding Agencies to help them with technical support and how to be thrifty and help them to navigate to Alternative Livelihood Projects by affording skill training to include business managerial and accounting. This is what is expected of a civilized society that is identifying a problem or a risk and working hard to solve it with good policies and laws. So UTAG wake up. We pay you research allowance to help solve national problems and not demo on a problem which should be a gold mine for the Universities. You and TUC are seating on gold mine. So wakeup. See me thorough my good friend Professor Charles Marfo or the Editor of Modern Ghana for ideas.

A win-win solution is also by Empathizing with them to gain their cooperation in the protection of the environment. So ongoing education on dos and don’ts is necessary this is a good way to deal with the menace of Galamasey.

The issue of good Community mining should be on the plan. So, considering the population of Ghana which is over 30 million and man is greedy with a Ghanaian propensity to front for Foreigners or collaborate with foreigners, it is foolhardy to allocate Mining Right to individuals for Small Scale Mining.

So community mining so be permissible for interested members of a community only and should be done, if and only if it is in the interest of the Community to undertake Artisanal and Small Scale Mining within their areas,. Then they should be made to form Community Mining Group as in Ghana or Cooperative Mining Group of not less 10 persons including women and to be allocated a concession say 20 acres and only once.

None of them should be allowed to operate Small Scale Mining again at areas or Sites in Ghana as done in Nigeria in order to check greediness, to reduce massive destruction of the environment and to ensure saving habit/reduce waste of revenue and to cultivate investment in Alternative Livelihood drive as well as to ensure the need for future generations.

So the issues of Mining Licenses in Small Scale Mining should be abolished immediately and rather Community or Cooperative Mining permits should be introduced with the initiator of the permit to be the Chief of the Area with Minerals Commission Office in the District providing the forms and helping in documentation and the usual duties. For areas in the Ashanti region, the approval of the Office of the Ashantehene should be required, chargeable fees should be low.