Editorial
Galamsey: We need a timeline now
We have come a long way since government announced its efforts years back to deal with illegal mining also known as ‘galamsey’ and the current state of our water bodies and forest reserves.
In 2017, an initial effort was to set up a 400 joint military and police task force to provide oversight responsibility and arrest illegal operators at various mining sites.
The colourless nature of our water bodies has been metamorphosed to the colour of a tea awaiting to be consumed with a hot slice of bread.
The indiscriminate cutting down of trees and clearing fertile lands which could have been prepared for farming is rather used for illegal mining.
The sight of these water bodies compels one to ask whether government’s effort is worth the fight.
Conversely, governments have played quite a number of roles with the arrest of infamous Aisha Huang standing who stood trial, who is one of the Chinese Nationals heavily engaged in ‘galamsey’.
She was trialed on the counts that, she undertook a mining operation without a license, facilitating the participation of persons engaged in a mining operation and illegal employment of foreigners and entering Ghana while prohibited from re-entry.
It was our hope that, when her trial continued, the court will make another concrete step towards her final administration of justice but she was rather deported.
We cannot sit aloof while other nationals come in to deliberately destroy our lands with impunity and again, not arresting the main perpetrators who are behind these foreign nationals and controlling their activities.
We would firmly agree with the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II for his comments that, if the main people involved are not arrested then what government is doing is clear fibs.
It’s high time government took an introspection about their efforts so far and how it can re-strategise and give exact timelines to deal with this ‘demon’ which is making life unbearable for people living around affected areas.
Ghanaians are waiting for you, Mr. President!