GALAMSEY Terrorists Destroying Ghana’s Rivers

Listening to Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa on Dr. Randy Abbey’s show was deeply troubling. Instead of ending the menace of illegal mining, the current Bawumia-led NPP administration is irresponsibly issuing more licenses to these criminals, further destroying our precious rivers. In fact, this year alone, from January to September, 70 licenses have been issued, and 38 between August and September alone.

For comparison, under Mills and Mahama between 2009 and 2016, only 56 licenses were granted in eight years. Under the reign of Nana Addo and Bawumia, a shocking 1,503 licenses have been given. The data speaks for itself—these greedy politicians are destroying our environment. No wonder kidney diseases and other health issues are on the rise, a direct consequence of the pollution from galamsey activities. What is even more outrageous is that mining leases are approved at the ministerial level. What kind of governance allows environmental terrorism under its watch? These people should face the firing squad!

Democracy in Ghana has become nothing but a golden opportunity for a select few men to brazenly steal from the country in broad daylight. They hide behind false promises and empty words, while they continue to pillage and plunder our land without any fear of consequences. They have the audacity to speak ill of Nkrumah, the father of our nation, while they shamelessly destroy everything he fought so hard to build. They have turned the presidency into a den of thieves, engaging in illegal mining activities that are destroying our precious river bodies and polluting our environment.

These so-called politicians have no shame, sending their wives abroad to give birth to secure Western citizenship for their children. They are not proud to be Ghanaians, yet they have no qualms about bleeding our Ghana dry for their own selfish gain. Fela Kuti was right when he said that democracy means "Dem All Crazy." It is only those with inferior minds who would destroy their own country's rivers to line their pockets, even as their fellow citizens suffer from kidney failures and other health issues.

We recite the national pledge with empty words and lip service, while our rivers continue to be poisoned and our environment degraded. It is time to hold corrupt politicians accountable for and demand that they stop the destruction of our natural resources. Save our rivers before it's too late. We cannot stand idly by while our country is being plundered and our future is being sacrificed for the greed of a few. Ghana deserves better!

Ebenezer Ato NTARKURFAH Jackson, Cornell University, MBA Class of 2015, EAJ72@CORNELL.EDU

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