CONTINUE WITH YOUR ADVOCACY ON THE FIGHT AGAINST GALAMSEY: A LETTER TO OCCUPYGHANA

Dear OccupyGhana,

I am in love with your consistent advocacy for illegal mining to be halted in Ghana to safeguard our water bodies and forests. I have been reading your weekly epistles to His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo religiously.

What I also like about your constant reminders to the President on his responsibility to deal effectively with galamsey are the solutions you proffer. They are apt.

I am with you on the position that the onus lies with the President to ensure that our environment is protected from these nation wreckers.

I would also like to draw your attention to the fact that fundamentally, our inability to fight galamsey is as a result of our extreme partisanship in the country.

This fight must be seen as a collective effort and, therefore, cannot be won by a party in power or even the President alone. All hands must be on deck if we are to succeed in this fight.

My point is that, while you are at it, try to consider the need for political leadership in this country to join in this war.

I hold the firm belief that we can never win this battle without the leadership of both the ruling party, the NPP, and the main opposition party, the NDC, coming together to join forces.

If these leaders jointly issue a statement and also go ahead with the efforts to join the fight, in less than a few months, our water bodies and forests would be liberated.

While the President is doing all he could to fight galamsey, political opponents are singing a different song, urging these galamseyers to continue with their illegal activities.

I would entreat OccupyGhana to not only remind the President of the fight against galamsey as his primary responsibility but also invite the main opposition party, the NDC, to join in this fight.

In my considered opinion, without the two main forces coming together, issuing joint statements, calling the bluff of those engaging in galamsey, letting them know that they would fight them whether in government or opposition, we shall run in circles with this fight.

Traditional authorities may have their roles, the citizens in these mining communities may also be key in this fight, those importing these Chinese into Ghana cannot also also escape blame, but the best antidote to fight this cancerous disease called galamsey is for both NPP and NDC leadership to join forces and sing one song.

If anyone has any doubts about the political and partisan nature of this phenomenon, he or she should take a look at the results of the 2020 elections in galamsey-prone areas.

You fight galamsey, you lose votes and your party is threatened with opposition, but you solidarize with these illegal miners, you gain votes and may even come to power. With such a situation, how do we fight galamsey? We can fight it with both parties forming a formidable alliance in dealing with the menace.

Continue with your constant reminders to the President to use his powers to halt galamsey but don’t forget to also tentacle your wings to the opposition party that benefits from the fight by President Akufo-Addo.
Thank you!

P.K.Sarpong, Whispers from the Corridors of the Thinking Place.