President Akufo-Addo/Bawumia have failed the Nation as Galamsey polluted Water enters the Sea through the Rivers Pra and Ankobra

The Center for Ethical Governance and Administration (CEGA) has observed with great worry the massive environmental disaster of galamsey and the pollution of river Pra, Ofin, Ankobra and others providing fresh water for treatment at the headworks of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL). The treatment plants at Sekyere Hemang in the Central Region as well as Konongo and Daboso in the Ashanti Region could be shut down sooner or later if the situation is not reversed. At Sekyere Hemang, the water company has recorded an average turbidity of 14,000 instead of 2,000 NTU designed for adequate treatment at the headworks.

Galamsey activities have unfortunately been extended from the forests to road sides and even private homes threatening lives of innocent inhabitants, and road users.

Now, galamsey polluted water has entered the sea, Gulf of Guinea, through River Pra and Ankobra. There is complete breakdown of law and order in gold mining areas. Where are the security agencies, Regional Ministers and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives responsible to check these illegal activities?  Ironically, many government appointees including the Mayor of Kumasi and DCE of Konongo are alleged to be deeply involved in mining activities in their areas of jurisdiction. And the NPP Juaben Constituency parliamentary candidate is reportedly involved in 15 gold mining companies.

But the CEGA is wondering whether President Akuffo-Addo is the same person who vowed to put his Presidency on the line to fight galamsey or a different person.

The President was quoted in January 2018 to have said among others, ‘’The galamsey activities are jeopardizing the very survival of our nation. I will establish a committee within the government to design a policy for us, not just to stop it, but to reclaim the land, to let our river bodies work again, and also to figure a way for all able-bodied men involved in this galamsey to find an alternative. So, the package is a package we have designed to bring this menace to a conclusion. I have said it in cabinet and this is the first time I am saying this in public. I am prepared to put my presidency on the line on this matter.’’

But six years down the line, the situation has degenerated from bad to worse. Not a single illegal mining site has been reclaimed; more and more forest reserves and arable lands with rich vegetation have been destroyed; hitherto fresh water bodies with full aquatic life have been poisoned and turned into environmental disaster zones. All these indicate a failure of the President Akufo-Addo/Bawumia administration.

Knowing very well of the existence of the Agyapadie document, and to mislead the public, President Akufo-Addo unwillingly but intentionally set up the defunct Inter-Ministerial Committee-on-Illegal- Mining (IMCIM) with Prof. Frimpong -Boateng as Chairman. Operation Vanguard and Operation Galamstop military and police taskforces were set up to support the IMCIM, and over $360m was spent on them for their three-year period in operation.  Heavy mining equipment and gold seized from illegal miners were said to have not been properly accounted for.

The Former Minister for Lands and Natural Resources Mr. Peter Amewu also announced the approval for the purchase of 200 drones for $3m to support the IMCIM galamsey fight. But Prof. Frimpong Boateng dismissed the cost as outrageous and proved with payment vouchers, other documents and receipts that the IMCIM did not spend more than $500,000 on the drones, tablets and other accessories needed for drone operations.

Commenting on the issue, Dr. Tony Aubynn, Former Chief Executive of the Minerals Commission, noted that purchasing drones to fight galamsey were not useful because they were bought purposely to take aerial drone photographs. And that did not make any significant impact. However, in 2022 all the 200 drones were reported missing.

The political will to fight this menace was none-existent from the very beginning, for the following reasons;

The NPP political support base in the galamsey communities, especially in the Ashanti and Eastern regions were likely to diminish once a firm action is put in place to fight the menace.

As stated in the Agypadie document, proceeds from galamsey were to be used as a source of finance to achieve NPP political objectives. This is confirmed by Dr. Bawumia, as he insists that he would stop galamsey only when he is voted to become the president.

And more importantly, from page 13 to 39 of the Agyapadie document which has been traced to the door-step of President Akufo-Addo and the Akyem mafia, the document outlined broad strategies through which the mineral resources of the nation should be extracted no matter the consequences. The greed of a small section of an ethnic group to claim hegemony over the resources of the nation, and the tacit support from the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government, are major reasons why the galamsey menace is difficult to stop.

In the Agyapadie document 1.4.3 Mining, Oil and Gas Industries – it was stated, ‘’Our mining, as well as oil and gas strategies constitute a major plank of the blueprint for controlling the extraction of natural resources which God has naturally bestowed on Ghana, particularly, the Akyem land. Growing environmental factors are rendering risky our use of illegal small-scale mining (Galamsey) as a source of financing our political objectives. There is therefore the need to role out a more rigorous legal means of controlling significant stake in the legal gold value chain. To this end, a cursory look at the approved concessions should be looked at. Asante Bediatuo is to lead the process to take over the concessions detailed below and consolidate them into the extended Agyapa LLC. Incorporated in Jersey.’’

Pursuance to this, about four hundred (400) mining companies operating in almost all the regions were therefore empowered to degrade the land, destroy water bodies and cause as much environmental disaster as possible just to bring out the gold to satisfy the greed of a few people. Shockingly, a Parliamentarian recently argued in parliament and defended the current state of affairs. He claimed that the previous NDC administration polluted the waters more than the NPP. In a situation where Ghanaians are looking for solutions, such comparison does not help.

The CEGA has noted that the frightening scale of destruction of the water bodies, the land degradation and its environmental impact as well as the ever-increasing number of people who have joined the loot over the years, as a result of the lackadaisical efforts of President Akufo-Addo, could be a big headache for the next government to tackle. But, leaving galamsey to continue on its destructive path could also not be a legitimate option for any credible government.

The onus lies with the next government to take the bull by the horns. Immediately amend the Mining Act, taking into consideration how to recover the degraded forests; how to restore the water bodies; employment and sustainable livelihoods for the illegal miners who may lose their jobs, the proposed 24hr economy in mind; and more importantly, how to contain the reaction of the galamsey kingpins behind the operators. And lastly, hold accountable the rest who have Willed the natural resources of the nation to their descendants in a state capture fashion, with the aim of maintaining a stranglehold on the economy even when out of power.

The CEGA strongly believes that resetting the nation is the only way out to save Ghana.

Signed

Prof. Ohene Adjei

Executive Director

0208122706

Mr. George Yankah

Communications Director

0242161111