Pressure Group should demand for Halt of irresponsible mining, total destruction of dredging Machines and urgent Mining Sector Reforms

In Ghana, the fear of a permanent shortage of water supply due to the diversion and pollution of rivers by Surface Mining activities in general which may thus cause the importation of water for domestic, commercial, pharmaceutical usage in future, has motivated a call for Stop Galamasey, day in, day out initially by Coalition of Media Houses and others against Galamasey. This has resulted in the formation of a Pressure Group made up of the Media Houses, TUC, GBA, and GMA, UTAG or the Intelligentsia Community and members of the Faith Base Institutions etc to call for Stop Galamasey.

A careful study of the main or specific concern of the Pressure Group tells that they are out for a very good cause for mankind by working to safe Rivers and the Forest from further destructions. However, the call for Stop Galamasey is misplaced as explained below.

They need to be told that Artisanal and Small Scale Mining, hence Galamasey is a time-honored indigenous subsistence activity in Ghana which emanated since the 7^th Century or the Bronze Age era has come to stay. What is required is a way for coexistence. So the Pressure Group should change the narrative to Stop Irresponsible Mining and must also demand for a ban on total transaction (usage, sales manufacturing) of dredging machines especially Chafang machines.

The Pressure Group should rather champion the recommendations of the Bishop of Accra and the Chief Imam of Ghana, the men of God that is stop irresponsible Mining and reduction of the menace of Small Scale Mining to the barest minimum through Alternative Livelihood Projects and Community Responsible Small Scale Mining for win-win solutions for coexistence.

To these good suggestions by the Men of God, they should add an urgent need for legal reforms to include a legislation to separate Mechanized Mining by Ghanaian tycoons for wealth creation from Small Scale Mining with simple tools as a strategy for survival or livelihood by rural folk. The tycoons must be made to establish Mining Companies and operate as Junior Companies within the Large Scale Mining Sector thus comply with both local and International requirements for Safety, Health, and Environment (HSE) Standards. As well as adhere to both local (Constitutional) dogma and International requirements of Probity, Transparency and Accountability.

The Pressure Group should demand for an immediate revoking of the concept of Mining License which sounds like the acquisition of driving license before one can drive. It does not make a good sense when we consider the population of five million people including women in Small Scale Mining in Ghana for survival, thus each of the five million by law is required to obtain Mining License individually or by cooperative system.

By the bad or stupid law of Ghana, it imply that in the course of fishing, farming or digging say in Bogoso and one happens to encounter gold or diamond or salt, one should go to Accra to apply to the Sector Minister for Small Scale Mining license before he can gather and sell (Galamasey) the gold or salt or resource which the Galamasey Operators regard as a Gift from God for them to escape from their poverty misery. Thus Galamasey by common sense theory cannot be stopped. The solutions to reduce the risks associated with Small Scale Mining to the barest minimum, include Community Responsible Small Scale Mining and Alternative Livelihood Projects or employment. So calling for Stop Galamasey as usual will not succeed or create the desire impact. Narrowing their demand to Stop Irresponsible Mining should be considered if they want the Nation to gain from their efforts.

It must be noted that the World Bank and seasoned Mining Scholars/Expert in May 1995 confirmed that Artisanal and Small Scale Mining has come to stay. So, based on this conclusion by the World Bank, the World Bank has been granting funding in Millions of Dollars to Ghana and other affected countries effective June 1995 This is to help the affected Nations to see that Small Scale Miners operate in a very responsible manner as well as to navigate the Galamasey Operators to Alternative Livelihood Projects. Google for the First Announcement of World Bank Support of Small Scale Mining Sector Development and Environment in Ghana on 13 June 1995.

So, it is the failure of Ghana to understand that Small Scale Mining in the form of Galamasey has come to stay and only need win-win solutions for coexistence, is the reason for the unsuccessful battle against Galamasey notwithstanding over 70 million Dollars spent against Small Scale Mining, since 2011, that is during President Mills Regime, when Hon Mr Mike Hammah was the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources and together with his team, we launched a dawn attack at the Sites of Small Scale Miners with 7 seven Excavators operating near River Ankobra. The seized seven excavators, were handed over to me to get Bogoso Mine to evacuate them to 2BN Apremdo Barracks, Takoradi, which I did and handed over to the then Commanding Officer of the Army Unit.

It is therefore very important for the members of the Pressure Group to ensure success this time by limiting their demand to the above stated recommendations which will be embraced by Ghanaians including the Small Scale Miners. The Pressure Group needs to take wisdom from the philosophy from the below quote from a seasoned Battlefield Commander, a Chinese General by name General Sun Tzu.

’’ if you know the enemy and you know yourself in hundred battles you will never peril, when you are ignorant of the enemy but you know yourself, your chances of winning or losing are equal. If you are ignorant of both of the enemy and of yourself, you are certain in every battle to be in peril’.

Artisanal and Small Scale Mining hence Galamasey has come to stay and it only needs win-win solutions for coexistence as concluded by the World Bank in May 1995, so based on this conclusion, the World Bank has been supporting nations including Ghana since June 1995 with funding to deal with the problems associated with Small Scale Mining.

So, the Pressure Group are hereby advised that since some operators of Small Scale Mining are operating responsibly that is not operating at the areas of concern to the Pressure Group, their day in, day out demand for Stop Galamasey sounds unreasonable and so they should rather narrow their demand to Stop Irresponsible Mining, this must be combined with a demand for the total destruction of all dredging machines especially Chafang machines in rivers, with dealers and shops or the manufacturing areas and the reforms of the Mining Sector as stated above to ensure the interest of communities or areas with mineral resources like gold, diamond Salt, sand, quarry stones etc.

It must be noted that the Stop Galamasey Sounds political since Small Scale Mining or Galamasey is a global problem which require full range of measures which must be simultaneously executed. Hence the members of the Pressure Group need to be told that Galamasey is a synonymous or a subset of Artisanal and Small Scale Mining is an informal economic sector for survival by most of the operators numbering in millions about 5 million in Ghana.

If something is illegal then Common Sense tells that it is illogical to demand for a ban what is already regarded as illegal by laws of Ghana. So the underlying issues, dynamics or characteristics of Small Scale Mining or the Galamasey require critical mindset thinking for good solutions and not to be driven by emotions, since as stated, it is a global phenomenon since the creation of man by God for man to conduct subsistence mining and subsistence agriculture to meet man’s needs.

From the above, it should be clear that Galamasey or Small Scale Mining has Religious or Godly or Spiritual connotations. So Ghana must do well to come out with ways of coexistence. Criminalizing it by the daily cacophony that Galamasey is illegal means that Ghana is ignorant of the underlying issues of Galamasey or Artisanal and Small Sale Mining, which the PNDC in 1989 recognized as PAMSCAD and enacted a Galamasey Law as Small Scale Gold Mining Law 1989 (PNDC Law 218) and Small Sale Salt Mining Law 1989 (PNDCLaw 287) both were Galamasey Laws. Proper research into these two laws especially section 21 of Small Scale Gold Mining law 1989 (PNDC Law 218) or PAMSCAD will confirm this assertion that PNDC enacted Galamasey Laws for win-win solutions for the survival of the poor rural folks and for rural development and the protection of the environment or interest of Ghana.

Ghana Is one of the several Countries with problem of Small Scale Mining, why Ghana is facing the serious environmental problem with Small Scale Mining is due to the blunder committed by Ghana by failing to understand that Galamasey is Small Scale Mining and informal economic sector which therefor needs good Legalization and Formalization process and not criminalization.

Ghana should check with the Tanzania Embassy or Google for how other Countries like Tanzania under the late President John Magufuli (the bulldozer) managed to get Large Scale Mining Companies especially Barrick Gold Mine to collaborate with over hundred thousands of Small Scale Miners or Galamasey operators for harmonious coexistence. So the Ghana Chamber of Mines should be contacted to get member Companies to come with collaborative efforts with Galamasey operators within their districts.

The Galamasey or Small Scale Mining needs holistic approach by affected Countries like Ghana by application all sort of measures including (a) Politically through good laws, by a third category for mining by tycoon as Medium Scale mining for Mechanized mining or with sophisticated technology and restrict Small Scale Mining Sector, as a sector which method of mining is neither with substantial expenditure nor use of sophisticate technology hence for the poor rural folks, as a strategy provided by God for survival hence to operate under Community Mining Permit.

There must be effort to help Galamasey operators navigate to Alternative Livelihood Projects that is no one to regard himself or herself as a small scale miner for life. A maximum of say 10 years should be instituted. Thanks for the Ghana Card, it is a good tool to determine how long a person registered in Small Scale Mining business has been operating as such. There must be effective monitoring or inspection and enforcement of laws. Other measures include (b). Economically. (c). Socially. (d). Psychologically. (e). Religiously or Spiritually. (f). Militarily. Both State Security personnel to act as friendly forces to their own Community Mining Security elements to protect and to contain them within limits

To conclude, the Pressure Group must be clear with the exact enemy and so as to concentrate its war arsenals to combat the enemy successfully. Otherwise we going to repeat the same process since 2011 without success as at date due to failure to understand the underlying issues, norms and dynamics of Small Scale Mining and why the concept of mining license is a disaster. This speaks why we failed in the past to protect the rivers and forest, so the Plan by the Pressure Group will backfire or fail.

The Pressure Group should note that for success In a Military battle field, the importance for the appreciation of everything about the type of enemy and own resources is very necessary so that the battle commander can apply the Principles of War as well as to determine the battle’s length of time for the maintenance of momentum using especially the First Principle of War that is Selection and Maintenance of Aim until total destruction of the battle effort of the enemy.

So, Selection of the exact Aim will make the IGP with the support of the CDS and the frontline line Commanders through the National Security Council with its subsections of Regional Security Councils and District Security Committees to concentrate their efforts at the affected areas namely rivers and unauthorized Forest Areas

Just drive from Anhiakwanta on the Kumasi to Obuasi main road and you will be shocked with the number chanfan machines being manufactured and or on sale. So, we need to get the Chinese Ambassador to warn his Nationals to repatriate their Chanfan machines or hand over to a Taskforce of the Military and Police to be stationed at Ahiankwanta, Obuasi, Dunkwa, Tarkwa, within one week. The nearest Large Scale Mining Company through the Ghana Chamber of Mines to be contacted for accommodation, feeding and logistics support for the troops. Items handed should be documented and destroyed by flattening then and should be sold to Scarp Dealers and the money handed over to the owners. Those who failed to handover at the end of a deadline must be arrested made to go through military drill in public and prosecuted as well as seizure of the items, which must be crushed and sold to scrap dealers in Accra without any payment.

Seizure of fuel meant for mining within 100metres of rivers, also the Regional Security Councils through the DEC should ensure the buying of fuel into IBC Containers, drums and numerous containers at fuel stations near areas of rivers and movement same towards areas of Rivers should require the approval of the Fuel Station Manager and the District or Station Police Commander who will document same and issue pass to the bearer or the conveyor. The Police to mount barriers on routes to rivers to prevent movement of fuel and sophisticated equipment to areas of rivers and forests for mining. Fuel for farming and other good reasons like construction of roads etc should be covered with a permit and escorted.