In Praise of Galamsey: Our New National Treasure

Hi, I am Ghana, your beloved country. I have heard some Ghanaians making empty noises that the most precious mineral, gold, should be mined in a way that preserves the planet for the future or entirely stopped. This is funny. Do not believe that crap. Why fight illegal mining when you can worship it? I have had an emergency meeting with my children I entrusted the country to, and we have concluded on the following, as notice to everyone:

Forget those who are saying we cannot eat our cake or destroy the forest and rivers, and still have it. Well, we will eat the cake, lick the crumbs, and still demand to have it whole. They tell my Galamsey children who have accomplished life through the pit and used their own money to support my other children in political campaigns not to use that support as a disguise to legitimize galamsey. Do not listen to them. Money is not the root of all evil like they say; dig the gold and carry all the evil in the golden bag.

Do not listen to the cry of the weaklings who are demanding unity in this fight. Do not believe that. Our collective strength will not give you a multimillion-dollar overnight wealth from galamsey pits. But you can enjoy the money with oversized silicon bodies, and the poor will call you “Chairman.” You can even be friends with the politicians. The forest and the waters are the hands that feed you. You see, take that hand and lick it. You can even chew it raw. Do not attempt to stop illegal mining, because I have spoken with your leaders, they are only replacing you with party loyalists. We are shy to admit we cannot fight galamsey. It is the business for those who fought to bring us into power. We do not have the will, and if anybody finds the will, we will find a way to break it. We lied to you. Power does not belong to the people. We will only use power to protect our people who are into illegal mining.

People are discussing that now is the time to preserve the environment and discontinue its health effects on people drinking brown water at galamsey areas. If such an opportunity to stop illegal mining is knocking, slam the door. They say you reap what you sow. Don’t mind them. Sow pollution and pray for clean water. God is all merciful. Send pastors to keep praying at the mining sites as you always do!

My lovely politicians, who I have entrusted the country to according to the choice of my people, Ghana is a poor country. But don’t cut your coat according to your size, cut it longer than your cloth. Later, blame the tailor. Live luxuriously in Land Cruisers and expensive vacations.

My sweet galamseyers, they say chiefs are custodians of the land, but show them money and you’ll be the custodians. They say the leader’s wealth is the people’s welfare. Can’t you see the leaders hoarding gold and watching the people drink mud? Chiefs, do not lead by example, continue to lead by destruction and blame it on followers. Pastors, you must also eat. Pray against galamsey on Monday, and bless their big monies in the offering bowl on Sunday.

My hardworking state leaders, in opposition, tell the people you’ll fight galamsey. Let them know leadership is service, but when elected, serve them with speeches while serving yourselves with gold. Because the majority of the people are not as smart or patriotic as they say. Supporters will always support every way their beloved political parties take. They cannot reason non-politically, because it’s always “us versus them.” Use that to divide and milk them, patriotic citizens of beloved Ghana, save your voice and chill because "we no dey see you". Stop complaining and start worshipping it.

My lovely politicians, tell the people what they want to hear. Tell them you’ll fight galamsey with laws. But make the laws stay on paper forever. When the cries of the people about galamsey destruction become unbearable, give another lie that you’ll train miners on how to adopt green mining practices to cover the graveyards. But make sure you only train them in grammar and pamphlets. Never be foolish enough to trade all the power that comes with politics for the cries of a few hypocrites. Do not fight galamsey, because you know your careers are built on politics, not service.

They say licenses bring order, but use licenses to legalize the destruction. They won't know. They say leadership needs courage. Don’t be fooled. Learn from Nana Addo’s case, who lost votes in all galamsey areas because he made a 2 percent attempt to fight it. Trade courage for votes, and the people will love it.

They say the voice of the people is the voice of God, but I advise you to always hear only the voice of galamsey financiers. This is the gospel according to illegal mining. Galamsey forever: the business of politics!

They say politicians build careers in service, but I advise you to build careers in politics itself, and let service wait. Brown water, golden pockets, long live galamsey!

So here we are: laughing at wisdom, living in contradiction. If we keep eating the cake and demanding to have it, if we keep biting the hand and spitting at the water, the day will come when there is no forest, no river to drink, and no land to farm. Then we will import food from sensible countries or eat our gold. On that day, it won’t be funny anymore. It will be fatal.

They say history remembers leaders, but let posterity remember ours for rivers turned brown, forests destroyed, and lives perished!

Isaac Bawuah
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