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29.01.2014 Feature Article

Prestea Demonstration: What Is The Way Forward?

Prestea Demonstration: What Is The Way Forward?
29.01.2014 LISTEN

We must admit the fact that the Prestea City has been built on the “potential of gold mining industries, be it the large companies or small scale mines or galamsey”. However, as times goes by, it is evidently clear that you cannot build a city with mining as the main source of survival. What happens if any unfortunate happens in the sector?

The main reason that has necessitated the 28-01-2014 demonstration is that government has tightened security and that galamsey is nearly to the point of collapse. That should have been good news! However, that has been viewed by the people of Prestea “a threat to human survival” because there are no structures built over time to deal with the real obstacles that has remained chronic pandemonium in the Prestea city, which is low level of education.

Now, let us look at the demonstration as a whole, in the first place, what the hell is the role of the MP in a demonstration by the people against a government that the MP (Kwesi Blay) represents. That in itself is a total failure and an absolute PR gimmick and populalist posture to attract the people's sympathy. Can you imagine? The MP was among the demonstrators and the presented their petition to the DCE. What on earth will an MP stoop so low the gutters! An MP is a bigger position than a DCE, and Kwesi Blay must know that!

Divergently, let us focus on the real situation on the ground, now Prestea has existed because of Gold mining. Now, things have changed and the mines is no longer serving its role of providing employment and basic amenities like water, roads, electricity and schools as it used to do. Then, the people devised a new way of surviving, which is galamsey. Government over time has studied the detrimental consequences of galamsey, so it has halted it. And here comes the cry of the people.

To solve this, the MP, DCE and all minor companies that Prestea has now should focus on education. The MPs common fund as well as the DCE common fund as well as Prestea Urban Council should collaborate to institute scholarship for brilliant but needy students in the Prestea City. Golden Star's scholarship cut-off point of aggregate 12 in BECE to qualify for aid should change, it should be for “brilliant but needy pupils, irrespective of aggregates, but those who have qualified to SHS”. The scholarship should expand its horizon, so it must give assistance to students entering tertiary institutions. If more graduates are produced, more human resource who can reason to diversify way of averting the calamities in Prestea city would naturally be eminent!

It must be reiterated that we can never argue for galamsey to be brought back into Prestea city, because the evidence is clear, it has caused more harm than good! What we need now is critical thinking and philosophizing deeply to see the reality and solve the menace in Prestea city.

Francis Mike Eshun,
BSc (Agric), UCC & Dip Ed (Science),UEW
P.O.Box 54,
Prestea.
Email: [email protected] & [email protected]

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