We’re dealing with ‘high-tech galamsey’(HTG) now but not just ‘galamsey’

Ghanaians are failing to see and understand that we are dealing with a new form of galamsey I called ‘high-tech galamsey (HTG)’ under President Akufo-Addo but not the ‘traditional galamsey’ practice we all knew before.

This article is meant to stress the fact that Ghana is currently facing this unprecedented HTG practice and its associated dire consequences under the watchful eyes of President Akufo-Addo due to clear lack of political will coupled with frightening greed in his regime.

Majority of Ghanaians are indirectly calling for this highly dangerous and unsustainable HTG practice to stop so that we can pause, re-think and re-strategize for sustainable mining. This is indeed the right call to make to the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia-led government now to seriously consider and act immediately. The ugly scenes of heart-wrenching devastation of our natural forests, pollution of major river bodies, loss of natural habitats and biodiversity are attributable to the unchecked activities of heavy earth-moving machines used in HTG operations unlike previously done.

By our Laws, small-scale mining, and for that matter traditional galamsey are meant for only indigenous Ghanaians with the use of less sophisticated equipment but not for foreigners to engage in.

What we are, however, witnessing under President Akufo-Addo regarding the HTG operations now goes beyond the illegal small-scale mining (galamsey), but rather large surface mining directly taking place in our forest reserves and water bodies with the involvement of heavy earth-moving machines (HTG) and Chinese nationals plying the trade in Ghana.

This regime of Akufo-Addo and Dr. Bawumia has partly enabled the passage of the LI2462 to allow over 1,500 companies to enter our forest reserves and mine along the major rivers in the country and inaction or half-hearted actions on the part of government.

This regime should thus fix the environmental mess caused! I hold the view that President Akufo-Addo is singularly responsible for the HTG mess now because he has failed gargantuanly to show leadership and commitment to addressing this life-threatening land use practice.

The frantic calls by Labour Unions, the Media, the Clergy and other CSOs as well as the immediate repeal of the recently passed LI 2462, declaration of state of emergency by President Akufo-Addo and temporary ban of all forms of small-scall mining/galamsey activities in forest reserves and on water bodies are in the right direction.

Sadly, President Akufo-Addo together Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and the NPP as a whole show no interest in this dangerous situation Ghana finds herself in. It is thus apparently evident that Nana Akufo-Addo is not ready to ‘put his Presidency on the online on this matter’ and act decisively and stop it immediately.

The planned nationwide strike by Organized Labour and other CSOs is the only tool left to push President Akufo-Addo to act to save our vulnerable forest reserves and water bodies.

After that, the next government after Akufo-Addo in 2025 should apply the ‘polluter pays’ principle to ensure that he who pollutes must pay for all costs of reclamation of degraded forest areas and cleaning of polluted water bodies.

The present and future generations of our dear country will be devoured in terms of posing social, economic, environmental and health threats to all of us, if nothing is being done about this dreadful HTG practice allowed to flourish under this Akufo-Addo-Bawumia-led government.

All discerning voices of citizens in the country must be sounded loudly to cause positive political action for the sake of our very existence and global climate protection.

We cannot afford to make Ghana 'a waste land' due to this unchecked HTG going on. #StopHTGNow!