I have been following discussions about illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey. The consensus is that this menace benefits few, but it has already caused big havoc to our environment and our well-being.
In fact, it threatens our very survival. In the past eight years, not much has been achieved. I presume pressure on this government is because of the trust Ghanaians placed in him by voting massively for him.
The honest fact is that it is a very difficult task. It involved Gold. People are even ready to kill to get this precious mineral.
People who are sent to enforce the law end up taking part. People expect the government to declare a state of emergency.
What it means is that we put aside our laws and deal with the matter harshly to achieve results.
Remember, these people are seriously armed in the bush. Do we want to wake next day to hear 20 or 30 people have been shot dead and hundreds of them have sustained various degrees of injuries at galamsey sites?
I read the statement from the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference and other faith-based organisations.
Some people are not happy about some of them because just last year they disassociated themselves from the Catholic Archbishop of Accra’s prayer walk.
They have suddenly found their voices. I will plead with everyone on this to exercise restraint as we all dialogue to find a lasting solution to this canker.
The president has been around for only 8 months and Galamsey has been with us for the past 25 years. Let’s give him a little time as he finds a lasting solution to this menace.
Source: Dr. Alex Kyeremeh
