Illegal small-scale mining which is also referred to as Galamsey in local jargons has been a canker in the bane of subsequent governments as its eradication is proving rather stubborn.
The mining industry employs close to 4 million of Ghana’s working force and as such should be treated rather delicately. Unfortunately, the natural simple survival instincts of humans has positioned them in a rather tough position to eradicate.
People employed in this lucrative gold sector find it hard to let go and as such always makes it tough for law enforcement to expedite their actions in stopping the illegal mining activities.
Ghana has seen subsequent efforts from operation Vanguard, Galamstop, and recently operation Halt. These joint task forces have worked assiduously at stopping these activities, but as humanly as it is, if the human elements are not looked at, efforts would be proven futile.
Speaking on Days TV about the recent activities by the Taskforce at Nzema, KobbyChina admonished the need to protect the soils and the water bodies as this is what
- We the indigenes of Ghana use after treatment in our households
- Livestock consume
- It’s used to make our cocoa truly pure and rich
And hence it’s only suicidal to damage the water bodies for our own consumption and usage.
KobbyChina further explained that our cocoa is fast losing its credibility due to the illegal operations of the mining activities going on and this is affecting our international trade, thereby, affecting our economy adversely.
The fight against Galamsey should be a collective nationalistic one and not a political one as political can only show political will but its success is entirely based on a nationalistic mentality to help eradicate.
KobbyChina
Kamoaidoo@hotmail.com
