Ghana’s fight with illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, has grow to be a defining issue of governance. Rivers as quickly as used for consuming and irrigation are literally poisoned with mercury, forests are cleared in the dead of night, and communities are left struggling with the nicely being penalties of toxic metals of their meals and water.

President John Dramani Mahama, who returned to office on the promise of restoring the nation’s environment, is discovering himself on the guts of this battle. His doc to this point presents a mixed bag – a mixture of technological advance, ignored prospects, and outright disasters.

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The Good

Mahama’s coordination has made some noteworthy strides throughout the battle in the direction of galamsey. The reintroduction of the anti-illegal mining secretariat has created a central body to coordinate protection and enforcement. Equally essential was as soon as the reclamation of 9 wooded space reserves that had been overrun by means of illegal miners. Although miners later returned to one of many essential forests, these efforts confirmed a political will to confront the menace.

Security reforms have been moreover daring. Police commanders in mining areas have been reassigned to beef up obligation, while nearly 1,000 river guards have been recruited to give protection to Ghana’s water our our bodies. In a bid to formalize artisanal mining, the federal authorities launched the Responsible Cooperative Mining Initiative, regardless that the discharge was as soon as tragically overshadowed by means of a helicopter crash that killed 8 officers, along with two ministers of state, on their method to the event.

Perhaps most likely probably the most putting step was as soon as political obligation inside Mahama’s private party. Two NDC officers, Joseph Yamin and Abanga, have been referred to EOCO for alleged galamsey-related offenses, a rarity in Ghana’s partisan panorama. On the regulatory entrance, new laws required importers to protected pre-shipment allows previous to bringing excavators into Ghana, a switch designed to choke off the supply of heavy equipment to illegal miners.

The Bad

Despite these optimistic elements, essential weaknesses keep. The government’s “Gold Board” initiative, meant to boost the business environment system through gold purchases, faces grievance for failing to make it potential for simplest legally mined gold is traded. Without sturdy exams, the state risks buying what environmentalists describe as “galamsey gold.”

Another misstep lies throughout the deportation of 107 worldwide illegal miners. Instead of prosecuting offenders to operate a deterrent, the federal authorities repeated the “Aisha Huang mistake,” sending them home with out punishment. Meanwhile, the debatable L.I. 2462 laws, which many contemplate entrenches galamsey, has not been repealed. This is no matter Mahama’s promise and the NDC’s comfortable majority in Parliament.

Even glorious insurance coverage insurance policies suffer from poor enforcement. Excavators nonetheless to seek out their technique into the country with out correct certification, elevating questions regarding the seriousness of customs and border enforcement.

The Ugly

The most devastating fact lies throughout the environment itself. Ghana’s rivers, significantly throughout the Central Region, have reached alarming turbidity ranges – as prime as 94,800 NTU, when the suitable prohibit is between 30 and 500. Some treatment vegetation have shut down totally, leaving districts with out potable water.  

Calls for a state of emergency had been loud, with even the Central Regional Minister, Ekow Panyin Okyere Eduamoah, backing the speculation. Yet Mahama insists that current powers should first be exhausted. Critics see this as a lack of urgency throughout the face of ecological collapse.

Equally troubling was as soon as the withdrawal of the police course of drive by means of the IGP, who argued that distinguishing licensed miners from illegal ones was as soon as difficult. The Minerals Commission, which has the data, disagrees. This alternative has left communities liable to unchecked destruction.

Perhaps most likely probably the most haunting legacy is the poisoning of the meals chain. Mercury and totally different heavy metals have seeped into fish, greens, and finish end result, exposing tons of of hundreds to long-term nicely being risks. Add to this the earlier advertising marketing campaign promise of amnesty for galamseyers, and Mahama’s credibility on the issue takes profitable.

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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by means of Readers and Contributors on this platform do not primarily represent the views or protection of Multimedia Group Limited.