Galamsey Ghana is a profound and protracted problem that has a direct negative effect on the land, as well as water, crops, villages and life there. The political time has been discussing how to put a stop to this problem yet things are not easy on the ground. The NPP and the NDC have made bold measures on the matters in question severally yet the effects of the illegal operations have been so manifold that no scheme has yet paid off fully. Hence, this has been a matter of political timing, which has taken a political challenge that is yet to be fully addressed.
Weak State Power
The location of rig sites is in remote mountains and deep forests and reaching them is extremely difficult for the state team. By the seeing of the team, the rig crews have fled. During the dark night, it is a lot simpler to distract their course and steal their tools. The state law can not be applied so fast in these distant places. Although this is the case, the team is forced to revert and the rig is reinitiated. This is the daily increasing of the issue and the loss of control by the law.
Local Pressure
The largest contributor to this concern is the local pressure. The Rig is seen as a job done by people in the village, since it takes them very little time. Political teams are voted on by these same people. The NPP and the NDC must take into account the fact that ignoring these issues may cost them votes and popularity. This is the reason why the political leaders are never bored, and there is no team that can fully work on the ground. This is a force that holds the Rig together.
- People in the Rig area cast their votes.
- They are not resented by the political staff.
- The Rig area faces numerous concerns.
- These people put pressure on the party.
- Rigged individuals quickly change sides.
Fast Money Attraction
The fact that money can be acquired fast is the main reason people resort to galamsey. People find it very hard to get better employment as employment in the villages is hard to come by. It is hardly possible that people can leave the rigs when they make as much money in a day as they would earn working at other jobs in a week. The NPP and the NDC have not developed any job strategies that can offer such individuals alternative employment immediately. Thus, individuals are hanging on to the rigs and the problem persists.
Here is a report By Erastus Asare Donkor:
GALAMSEY KINGPIN CHAIRMAN WONTUMI EXCAVATORS SEIZED.
“On the eve of Good Friday, just after wrapping up my working visit to the Ashanti Region, I joined an intelligence led Ghana Police Service personnel on behalf of the Forestry Commission Ghana in a raid of about six (6) illegal mining sites allegedly belonging to AKONTA MINING (which is believed to belong to the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP popularly known as Chairman Wontumi) in Samreboi, Western North Region.
The exercise resulted in the arrest of 6 Chinese, 2 Koreans and 18 Ghanaians. A total of 8 excavators were also taken and some 5 abandoned at their locations due to mobility challenge.
Two Toyota Hilux pick-ups and a Toyota RAV4 together with four motorbikes were also seized alongside some mining equipment
The exercise which we staged from 5am lasted some 12hrs and yielded such positive result.
All kudos to the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources-Ghana, Hon. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah and the IGP.
We MUST protect our water bodies, forest reserves and preserve the earth. The exercise which is an ongoing battle to combat illegal miners has no end in sight as we intend not to give up at all.
All who were arrested were immediately sent too Accra for onward action
Illegal Groups
There are also mafia-like gangs that are involved in Galamsey and can offer money, tools, and a means of committing a rig fraud. These gangs are quite powerful and they do not easily yield to any political pressure. Political teams do not even dare to take these gangs on head-on as they have a very deep influence. These mafias will always offer protection to the operators of the rig making it even more alarming. This is the actual barrier that cripples the system at all stages.
High Environmental Damage
The rigs give the water a yellowish tint that is toxic. The yields are lesser and the quality of soil is declining on a daily basis. This is the pain of the villagers, but nevertheless, hindered by lack of finances, they proceed with the rigs. This is not only damage today but also a loss in the future. Even if the government tries its best, people cannot realize this harm, and the issue will go unsolved.
Leadership Divide
NPP and NDC do not usually sit down and strategize. They hold one another responsible and charge each other with the blame of the other. The issue of political difference is so profound that it is hard to unite on the problem on the national level. The Rig Affair benefits best when the two teams do not work together. This gap leads to a great increase in the problem.
“Politicians are engaged in galamsey, we can never fight it without political will” – Kwasi Poku Bosompin, NPP Tema West Chairman
Awareness Gap
The people living in the country are not very aware of the real evils of rigs. Individuals are only concerned with a fast money grab and they do not consider the long-term effects. Awareness programs are also minimal and they are not often reflected in the school syllabus. In case the people should be educated right, it would be possible to mitigate the effects of rigs, but that would involve a ground-level strategy on the part of the political team.
- Losses are not well known to people.
- The villages have less knowledge.
- This is not mentioned so much even at school.
- It is something that people believe after witnessing fast cash.
Economic Needs
The cause of this problem is lack of employment. Village dwellers do not have any other possible choice. Concerning livelihoods, everyone is ready to gamble. The NPP and NDC need to initially come up with a detailed employment plan. The issue of poverty can only be eliminated once people identify alternative and more rewarding tasks.
Future Risk
In case the drilling is continued, the sugarcane fields will lose not only in water but also in crops. The supply of plain water will be toxic and this will expose the village to the danger of being diseased. The harvest will be reduced, and the market price of the rye will drop. All this may lead to huge losses within a period of ten years. As such, planning has become a necessity.
New Roadmap
The NPP and NDC have to come up with a common strategy of offering alternative jobs to the people hit by the rigs. The villages should be provided with new work training and skills programs. The legislation has to be reinforced to have a clean environment. The rigs can only be shut down by having a unity of opinion by the political team.
Final Thoughts
Corruption is not something that can be easily stopped. It requires a fair system at every level political, social and administrative. The NPP and the NDC should get on track and act on the ground. The population should be taken on board as well. Ghana will only come out of this challenging problem when the people and the law converge.
