In June 2016, on our way to Lake Bosomtwe for Martin Fodor’s swim event, we saw men using earth-moving machines to dig for gold, polluting a stream in the process. The so-called Galamsey, a mindless clearing of land and pollution of water bodies for small amounts of gold. The more destruction, the greater the reward.
Martin, being a person with environmental interests, asked that our car be stopped so he could confront the individuals involved. This was risky because no prey likes to be interrupted when hunting. We had no security; it was just me, Martin, and the driver. But he got down anyway to ask a couple of questions for which he obviously wouldn’t get any proper answer.
Most of the time, we act as if our ancestors didn’t distill palm wine into gin, shape iron into tools, and dig this earth for precious minerals. The fact that they said they named us the Gold Coast doesn’t mean they showed us the gold. The point is, our ancestors mined gold in an era when they fetched potable water directly from the streams and rivers.
According to some records, the impact of small-scale mining on our natural habitat began to surface in 1983. The significance of this date bears the intricate link between the wanton destruction of our environment and the living standards of the average citizen. Having been blessed with abundant natural resources, Ghana and Africa at large have failed to leverage these resources to improve the living standards of their people.
Citizens in these mining communities have witnessed multinationals extract wealth from their lands with government support, yet they remain deprived of basic needs. Observing that ‘legal’ mining firms also pollute, many may reason that inflicting destruction themselves and keeping the profit is justified, since they will bear the environmental consequences. The current president’s soft-handed approach reflects similar logic, highlighting the multiple systemic failures that have made mining an existential threat to the nation.
Some key figures in the current administration boasted of the capability to stop the menace of galamsey within a few weeks when they were in opposition. It has been over nine months into their administration, and the destruction has yet to cease. It is very common for opposition parties to have great ideas and solutions, but their visions often fail to materialize when they assume leadership. This is largely because we tend to overlook the causes and focus on dealing with the effects. After all, they are mostly tangible and make for fine graphics and animations.
It is true that some devastating effects of galamsey can be addressed in the short term, and several initiatives have seen temporary success, though often unsustainable. The high profitability of this activity and its link to living standards make it prone to further exploitation. The willingness of people to sell cocoa farms for gold exploration signals problems across multiple sectors.
It has been said that we don’t lack the ability to stop galamsey, but the absence of political will. Why would a leader of this nation lack the will to stop what clearly has become an existential threat? Well, the simple answer is greed. They can construct impeccable English and cite several excuses as the hindrance, but the real Teflon is greed.
Multipartisan democracy and elections are expensive ventures. Because the sources of these funds are not disclosed, politicians are free to receive money from unscrupulous sources, indebting them to the characters they are supposed to work against in the interest of the nation. The kingpins of this galamsey menace either hold executive positions in the various political parties or are significant benefactors. So, when they perform comedies and arrest some kingpins, and the prosecution diminishes into the ibis, know that it isn’t because they are not guilty, but because of greed and interests. This is not even news; we are all aware because they told us so.
The current President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, has a lot of goodwill for this second term. This is largely because of the appalling performance of the Nana Addo administration. It is a case of being in a rock and a hard place. This new Mahama administration is being described as a “legacy administration” because elites and media believe his ultimate goal is to implement policies and undertake developmental projects that benefit the people, rather than serving the usual party and benefactor interests.
Mahama had strong stands on galamsey while in opposition. He and his party banked on the social dismay of the destructive nature of this activity and were one of the wings on which they flew to power. Amongst other things, he promised to place a ban on illegal small-scale mining, repeal Legislative Instrument 2462, which allowed mining in forest reserves (how such nonsense was conceived and passed is indicative of the leadership we have), and the usual surface dressing initiatives of ‘Tree for Life’ and the so-called ‘Blue Water Guards.’
Because galamsey has its tentacles in almost every facet of partisan politics and social life, the hard stands of politicians in opposition are softened by power. Contrary to the promised repeal of LI 2462, the Mahama administration initially pushed for an amendment of this ludicrous act but had to revert to the original repeal agenda due to pressure from civil society and the citizenry.
This new administration has only gloss over this crisis thus far. They have failed to take the difficult decision that will ensure a comprehensive solution to this menace. While dilly-dallying with the repealing of the act, banning the illegal mining of gold, and arresting and prosecuting those involved, they have been quick to launch PR oriented initiatives such as the ‘Blue water guards’ and the ‘Tree for life’ initiative with pomp and pageantry.
This situation raises serious doubts about the government’s commitment to addressing illegal mining. Despite public rhetoric, their actions suggest a focus on unsustainable initiatives over lasting solutions. Sustainable progress requires strengthening and supporting existing agencies, such as the Forestry Commission, Parks and Gardens, Ministry of Water Resources, EPA, and others, to collaboratively restore forests and protect water bodies.
With this, we will have well-established institutions with experienced personnel who will be well-resourced to provide sustained solutions to the problems that we face. This nonsense of establishing new shell agencies to provide the illusion of problem-solving has never been of benefit and will never be.
Galamsey is undoubtedly an existential threat, and how we choose to deal with it will obviously determine the kind of future we will have.
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