Galamsey and Construction: How the Chinese combined the Two at Twifo Praso

#StopGalamseyNow

The first time I went to Twifo Praso was around 1996. That is supposed to be my hometown, but I had to wait over 10 years to be there.

The bridge was a major attraction; it was super nice at the time and had the extra feature of a railway line laid through it. The sight of vehicles stopping for the train to pass was one to behold.

Pra was clean, they people used to drink directly from it. The get me wrong, mining was going on at the time, for whatever they did right then kept the water in shape.

Today, a new bridge has been built. The same design concept was replicated, with the only missing part being the railway line—a regression, if you ask me. The pillars of the old bridge are what you see in the first picture.

The contract for the new bridge was awarded to the Chinese. According to the locals, while constructing the bridge, they were mining at the same time. Galamsey/construction walking together, and as the builders of the bridge, they had the privilege to do that right in the middle of the Pra RiverRiver unquestioned.

After the construction works, many of them have refused to leave the area, according my source, they have linked up with other Chinese nationals to mine gold in towns like Dunkwa and Praso.

You see them around. They are making money, messing up our environment, and yet we look on, playing politics with this.

Imagine being in government and claiming that the opposition has brought people from neighboring countries to mine, and yet you look on helplessly.

Somehow, we appear to be in a silly season, the time when people have the freedom to make frivolous claims, I mean outright senseless ones, and get away with it.

As conspiracy theories are being churned out from evil hearts and corrupt brains across the board, the future of the next generation is being washed away.

As usual, the poor will suffer; the rich can afford imported water.

On this slippery ground, no one is safesafe, as I speak, there are grown adults ready to boldly accuse me of painting the river in the background to make the government unpopular.

Whatever butters our bread, even if it means acting a fool, that’s the way for the corrupt soul.

As it stand, unless something drastic happens, I mean a miracle, Ghana won’t get better

By Kofi Kyei