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20.04.2017 Feature Article

The Galamsey Menace, Walking The Talk And Bitting The Bullet

The Galamsey Menace, Walking The Talk And Bitting The Bullet
20.04.2017 LISTEN

There have been too much talk on the activities of “Galamsey” for the past few weeks. Galamsey coined from the word “gather and sell” already highlights the kind of people involved in this rudimentary practice of mining. One thing so sure is that, the remedies needed for these menace is not wrapped in secrecy but one whose solutions were documented several years ago and does not need a soothsayer to unravel or a Prophet to predict.

Once again Ghanaians are scorched with pain, zeal and great enthusiasm to fight the Galamsey menace. The media has taken the game to the feet of those involved and are driving home their protestation with all the journalistic voice and tools they need. I pray this fight and suggestions would amount to practical action of walking the talk and biting the bullet when it matters most.

Attempting to catalogue the illegal mining menace would be an exercise of boredom and futility. Worldwide about 80 to 100 million people are involved in artisanal or small-scale mining though not all small scale mining is necessarily deemed illegal. These alarming Galamsey activities are therefore not akin to only Ghana but a pervasive issue globally. The fight or war against galamsey has transcended several governments from President J.J Rawlings through to current President Nana Akuffo Addo. Instructively, Ex. President John Dramani Mahama inaugurated a five member Inter ministerial task force in Accra on May 14, 2014 to curb these illegal activities of mining. Three years down the lane we are still singing the same hymnal without any hope in sight.

The influx of Chinese migrants in Ghana engaged in these Galamsey activities is clouding the presence of other foreign nationals. Foreigners perpetuating this crime do this in connivance with indigenes. We have also over concentrated on Chinese migrants to the neglect of powerful blocks mainly Ghanaians depleting our natural environments as well. Most of these foreigners did not just get to these places by a miracle but were aided through questionable and somewhat legal means of exploiting our environment in the most pervasive manner ever seen in history. The issue of patriotism must be a top burner if curtailing these activities are concerned. I have stayed in China for three years and you dare not as a foreigner try something funny like illegal mining or trade without permit. The local Chinese people would give you out to the authorities to be prosecuted irrespective of the quantum of money you are prepared to coerce them with. They believe in the sanctity of their natural environment and would not have outsiders pollute their environments.

Here in Ghana, we care less of the repercussions of the devastation illegal mining poses, we don’t think about the unborn, neither do we mind if we aid other nationals or our own people to degrade it. We must start to value the sovereignty and the good name of our Country Ghana and thus be responsible in protecting our natural resources. Patriotism even from the top leaves much to be desired and so it becomes even more difficult to expect the locally impoverished people to in the name of patriotism protect and preserve the natural environment. Franklin D. Roosevelt once said “A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people.” We are thus destroying ourselves, cutting our life expectancy rate and endangering the unborn generations.

All said and done I propose a Spatial –Social approach in solving the issues of galamsey. Since we are involving chiefs, opinion leaders and other relevant stake holders we need to holistically embrace current spatial technology like the use of satellite imagery and drones in fighting this canker. I do not doubt the effectiveness of these techniques as recommended by the sector Minister Mr. Peter Amewu. This must however be interspersed with local content by interpreting the results together with the local community and thus showing them the projected effect. The spatial quantification of the devastation and representing on maps, makes the graphical evaluation and tracing the effects more visible and real. People relate much with what they see, so since they can not glance through the whole exploited and degraded lands, we can use Participatory mapping technology using GIS to educate stakeholders and local community members on the devastating effects of these mining activities.

In my paper published in the year 2015 and 2016( Laari et al., 2015 and 2016), one can see the amount of vegetation declining at faster rates since illegal mining peaked in the Wa East and Nadowli District of the Upper West Region where similar Galamsey activities are on the rise. Hot spot maps of vulnerability due to these activities and a prediction of its effects many years to come should be alarming enough for us to draw mitigating measures and to halt or reduce it.

We need to demand more developmental projects that seek to improve the livelihood of inhabitants in mineral dominated areas from mining companies. The Government’s social intervention must also be extended to such areas for them not to consider the option of galamsey which has led to many school drop outs, health effects, social vices, prostitution, crime and environmental degradation. It is problematic to say do not urinate here and there is no alternative place of urinal. Let us provide alternatives but above all let the communities be responsible and think about the future.

“A nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people”. John F. Kennedy. Let us bite the bullet, be truthful and open about our discourse on this issues to get a transparent solution not clouded in hypocrisy and secrecy. All hands on deck must also mean an open door policy that has no ill intent, documents ready to be shared and other key details deployed for the good of the country.

Thomas Jefferson once said “If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be”. We dont need rocket science to propound the devastation that would befall this nation if we continue to play ostrich and are ignorant of issues of water scarcity,changes in the Global climate cycle,deforestation and health effects culminating from these continues environmental disturbance due to illegal mining.

We need to employ state of the art equipment like the drones or satellite imagery to monitor these activities by resourcing the chiefs, opinion leaders and stake holders who can oversee these activities. NGO, media, religious groupings and civil society must increase the pressure on government to see an end or reduction in this menace.

Beyond these illegal miners, the other small scale and large scale mining activities are still conducted in questionable environmental standards. The fight against galamsey must therefore not be seen as been the only avenue the environment is disturbed. Many of these large scale and licensed small scale miners pollute and degrade the environment without recourse to the laid down policy on Environmental Impact Assessment. It is high time, we extend the Polluter Pay Principle to these companies who fail to adhere to environmental standards and ethics. We must be worried about the reclamation programmes they have in areas they operate. Many counties are even using dug out as avenues to build underground facilities where as other afforestation projects and stock piling can be alternative programmes for these degraded areas.

We must be bold to stop this canker in our time, the unborn generation looks up to us. The politician may not be trusted but we the citizens put them there and must chart the path if even they play rhetoric with their words.There are no more wars or coup de tat in Ghana but the war against galamsey may be worse than another third world war if we don’t walk the talk, see the reality and rise up to stop this canker. One day we may look on with dismay if we don’t add our voice and help fight these menaces. "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke

I support the media war and I encourage social media to be replete with this campaign till we get it down to zero.

DR. PROSPER BASOMMI LAARI
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND RESOURCE STUDIES
UDS-GHANA
+233244853165/[email protected]

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