Ghanaian Statesman and politician, Dr. Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe says the only way we can win the fight against galamsey is to behave as real patriots.
He argues a total commitment by all stakeholders and the Ghanaian populace is the only way the menace can be ended and the environment restored.
On his accord, most of these persons engaged in illegal mining activities are foreigners who are given parcels of land to mine by chiefs and receive support from communities in which they operate.
“We cannot end galamsey without involving chiefs and members of the community. No matter the strength of the military, this fight cannot be won because they cannot stay in these communities indefinitely”, he stated.
He noted that although the government has been fighting the menace for years now, there has been no drastic changes as government officials eventually release these illegal miners, especially foreigners without pressing charges. “If my memory serves me right, Aisha Huang was arrested for engaging in illegal mining but how did she escape prosecution?”
The founding member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) advised the government to instil the spirit of patriotism and engage the grassroots if the fight against galamsey will be successful.
“One thing the late J.J Rawlings did when he came to power and helped him survive for long in the Ghanaian political space was that he had a network for intelligence gathering which run through the entire nation, even in the most remote villages. To solve this problem, we need to engage the grassroots. They witness the destruction firsthand and if we work with them, they can be a wealth of information to help government end the menace”.
Dr. Nyaho-Tamakloe who supports the burning of seized excavators from illegal miners insists, “If these equipment are not destroyed, the illegal miners will come back”.
He reiterated, “If we have genuine District Chief Executives and Police Commissioners in office with support from chiefs and the people, the fight against galamsey will be won”.
The government of Ghana has renewed its efforts to fight the galamsey menace. It (government) recently deployed some 200 military officers to these mining communities with the mission to arrest and destroy equipment belonging to these illegal miners.
By: Joel Sanco
