The writer
Mr. President, when something is described as an ‘existential threat’, it simply means the thing is so dangerous that it threatens the very existence of others. Galamsey, which is illegal small-scale mining, has been described as existential threat to the nation.
Studies upon studies that you must be familiar with have demonstrated the nature and extent of the threat that galamsey poses to the existence of Ghanaians.
Everywhere in the world, any threat to sources of water is seen as a threat to life and human existence. And no serious country will tolerate a threat to sources of water, no matter the reasons for the threat and no matter who is involved.
Why is Ghana so different, Mr. President? If galamsey is threatening the very existence of the people who elected you and gave you the executive authority of the State, why have you not stopped that existential threat, 20 months after taking office?
Why is it not possible for you to invoke all the powers of the Constitution and marshal all the forces of the State to stop something that threatens the very existence of the people of Ghana? What are you waiting for?
Every journalist, every campaigner, every institution and every independent observer who has been monitoring the galamsey menace has concluded that the situation has worsened since you took office.
Why is that so, Mr. President? Why is protecting our very existence not your priority number one? When campaigners call on you to declare a state of emergency in order to deploy emergency measures provided for by the Constitution, the usual refrain has been that galamsey affects the livelihood of about 4 million people and therefore we must be careful about the measures we take to address the menace.
Let us accept for a moment, Mr. President, that that is enough justification for not deploying emergency measures required to stop galamsey. According to the Ghana Statistical Service, Ghana’s projected population in 2026 is 34,378,768.
Mr. President, should the livelihood of 4 million people be allowed to continue to threaten the existence of over 30 million citizens, assuming the 4 million people don’t even care about their own existence?
But that’s even beside the point, Mr. President. Can’t the 4 million people still earn a livelihood by engaging in galamsey everywhere else in Ghana apart from water bodies, forest reserves and farmlands? Why are you and your government making excuses for people who threaten our very existence?
The call on you, Mr. President, is simple: protect our water bodies, forest reserves and farmlands. We are not asking you to stop 4 million people from earning a living. There are enough lands in Ghana, away from water bodies, forest reserves and farmlands, for them to go dig for gold.
Frankly, I would care less if illegal miners were permitted to dig beneath the Presidency (Flagstaff House) for gold. But whatever else may be permitted, Mr. President, do not allow them to continue to destroy our water bodies, forest reserves and farmlands. You must do whatever is in your power to stop them.
And let no one ask us to pray for the healing of our lands and water bodies. In China, they don’t pray for people to not pollute their rivers. Their leaders take firm actions and severely punish criminality. If they have to impose the death penalty on criminals, they do it.
As a result, all their rivers are clean, while almost every river in Ghana today is polluted. The difference, Mr. President, is strong leadership. When Ghanaians went to the polls on 7th December 2024, we were clear in our minds that we were voting for Mr. John Dramani Mahama, not Mr. Ens Spirituale Supranaturale, to solve the galamsey menace.
Mr. President, whatever your argument against declaring a state of emergency, let me ask you these three questions:
If Ghana were under a military regime, and the military promulgated a decree that bans mining on water bodies, in forest reserves and on farmlands, do you think the 4 million people whose livelihood depends on galamsey would defy the military?
If not, why would you not use the same military under a state of emergency with the same mandate, powers and rules of engagement as they would use under a military regime, to fight against galamsey?
And if the military is not able, under your leadership as the Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces, to protect citizens from this existential threat called galamsey, should citizens expect the same military to be capable of protecting this nation if rebels invaded parts of the country with the aim of exploiting our mineral resources, while also destroying water bodies, forest reserves and farmlands?
Mr. President, you may have many priorities and you may be doing your best to address many challenges facing the country. But if you fail to stop galamsey on water bodies, in forest reserves and on farmlands, something that every citizen knows is a threat to our very existence as a people, when we have given you an unprecedented mandate and executive authority to protect our lives, posterity will never forgive you!
By Kwaku Antwi-Boasiako
