File photo of a galamsey site
One week ago, the Okyenhene, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin, caused a stir in my hometown, Asiakwa, when he attended a durbar there to mark the 25th anniversary of his coronation.
Not many people, even in Akyem Abuakwa, know this, but Asiakwa is of particular significance in Abuakwa's history and traditions.
Firstly, the town is the capital of the Nifa (Right or 'Vanguard' division) of the Abuakwa State. But even better than that, the Okyenhene has, by tradition, regarded the Nifahene as his “father” ever since conjugal relations occurred between the Kyebi and Asiakwa stools a few hundred years ago. These relations resulted in the birth of not just a single heir to the Akyem stool, but two! (Twins, as a matter of fact, hence the name “Atta” [as in Ofori Atta] features prominently in the lore of the Akyem Abuakwa kingship).
From that time on, the Nifahene has been heralded by his horn-blower with the encomium: “Mawo awo pa ooo!” (I have given birth to real bejewelled royalty!) Indeed, by tradition, the Okyenhene does not attend the funerals of his sub-chiefs in person – with the exception of the Nifahene, his “father”.
So, going to Asiakwa last week raised several issues, the most important of which was this: why is it that the Okyeman, with an educated and enlightened man at its head, is being allowed to be destroyed by vandals who know neither sacred river nor sacred crop (cocoa)? Are the Akyem people (sebe o!) too lacking in common sense to know that galamsey is killing their own rivers and that in the future, water will be very scarce in the state? Why do they allow cocoa and mood farms to be ravaged by galamsey operators?
The Okyenhene himself is fully conscious of the heartache galamsey is causing among the majority of the Akyem people. As they look at Asiakwa (Supong and Twafuor rivers destroyed); Nsutam and Osino (Birem wrecked); what can they think?
As long ago as June 2022, the following headline appeared on the Internet:
“I’ve shed tears of anger and frustration over galamsey,” says Okyenhene.
The story beneath the headline read: “Okyenhene was reacting to how some people continue to refer to the Kyebi area as being the headquarters of galamsey activities in Ghana.” The story went on:
“The Okyenhene has once again bemoaned the lingering occurrence of galamsey in Ghana. He said there is a need to eradicate illegal small-scale mining activities, also known as galamsey, to safeguard the environment for future generations. Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin was reacting to how some people continue to refer to the Kyebi area as being the headquarters of galamsey activities.....
Speaking with Nana Yaa Mensah on Asaase Radio, the Okyenhene said: “The point is, Article 257(6) [of the 1992 constitution] places all the natural resources in their [the central government’s] hands for protection for future generations. They need to protect them. We [the chiefs] do not have coercive force. I tried to use my people to drive them away and we were facing danger every day, and people didn’t know.
“At one time in my relationship with the then chief of defence staff, I begged him. I said it [galamsey] was getting out of hand and we should probably organise some of the military people to come here [to Kyebi]. They did, and within a week the whole thing had been shut down.
“A week later they [the politicians] called them [the military] and said: ‘Don’t you know it’s an election year?’”
He continued, “So I’ve shed tears of anger and frustration where I sit, about this, and to the point that somebody will even say that I was engaged in galamsey! My answer to them is, I own all the land. If I want to do galamsey, why would I want to go and steal it? I would go to the Minerals Commission and say, ‘I’m going to my land – just give me the licence.’ So the pain I shed was people not speaking the truth, lying about it all over.”
The lying hasn't stopped and at Asiakwa last week, the Okyenhene condemned galamsey in much the same way he has been doing since his confrontation with (then) President John Mahama in 2014.
With the greatest respect, I would humbly suggest to the Osagyefuo that the time for shedding tears over galamsey is over. As I once wrote about condemnations Otumfuo the Asantehene, the Central Government does not appear capable of ending the menace; certainly “not in an election year”! Yet the rivers are going, and so are the cocoa farms. And the birthing of deformed foetuses goes on unabated.
The Chiefs must thus resort to mass action. Every chief has an Asafo in his town or village. They should be mobilised to drive the galamseyers away and to protect the rivers and farms.
NOBODY HAS THE RIGHT TO PREVENT PEOPLE FROM PROTECTING THEIR RIVERS AND FARMS.
In the late 1940-50s, the Central Government attempted to use force to stamp out the swollen shoot disease that was killing the cocoa industry. But the Government's policy was wrong and the people resisted it until the policy was changed.
In the same way, galamsey will end if the people UNITE against it.
Mobilisation of every Asafo in the threatened areas by the Chiefs (with unstinted Central Government support) is the answer.
No need to shed any more tears, Nananom. It's over to you. If you fail your subjects, believe me, there will be no nation called Ghana in the next decade or two.
