A Mining Engineering and Mineral Economics Consultant based in the United States, Dr. Solomon K. A. Owusu, has respectfully appealed to President John Dramani Mahama to reconsider his approach to the fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
In an open letter to the President, Dr. Owusu said while he appreciates the President’s engagement with Chiefs in mining areas, he believes that strategy alone may not yield the desired results.
According to him, some Chiefs are already aware of galamsey activities on their lands and in some cases, may even be complicit.
“I can confidently tell you that these Chiefs will never take any action because they are already aware and some connive with the galamseyers on their respective lands,” he noted.
He respectfully urged the President to seek answers to critical questions, including how galamseyers gain access to the lands, whether Chiefs allocate lands to them, whether cases are reported to law enforcement, and whether there are financial arrangements involved.
Dr. Owusu reminded the President that unlike Chiefs, he has the full state power to decisively deal with the menace.
“Chiefs don’t have the state power to combat galamsey but you have all the powers in Ghana that can be applied without fear or favour,” he stated, adding that many Ghanaians voted for President Mahama because they believed he would offer a lasting solution after the previous administration’s efforts did not work.
He observed that water bodies continue to be heavily polluted and silted, hence the need for a change in strategy.
Dr. Owusu noted that relying solely on military operations may not solve the problem, as similar approaches in the past such as NAIMOS, Operation Vanguard, Operations Halt 1, 2 & 3, Galamstop and the River Wardens in 2022, which is similar to the Blue Water Guards, did not achieve sustainable results.
“I must be honest with you, using the military to fight illegal miners alone won’t solve the problem,” he said.
He explained that both licensed small-scale miners and unlicensed miners pollute water bodies and degrade lands because since independence in 1957, no government has developed a clear Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for responsible mining that protects the environment.
The US-based consultant also expressed concern about funding for the fight, noting that while the Lands Ministry requires about $10 billion to effectively tackle the menace, only $12.5 million, representing about 0.13% was allocated.
He suggested that the Ghana Gold Board (Goldbod), which he says receives over 80% of its gold from artisanal and small-scale miners and has contributed to stabilizing the economy, should consider supporting the Lands Ministry to address galamsey from a technical perspective.
Dr. Owusu concluded with a respectful reminder to the President, whom he described as his uncle, that time is of the essence.
“You have only next year, 2027 to fulfill your galamsey solution promise to Ghanaians and the world, else nobody will listen to any further promise on mining from the NDC party in 2028,” he said.
“You still have some few months to prove yourself so please take action now by stopping the politicization, adopting technical solution and committing financial resources for the Lands Minister to work,” he added.
Source By Phalonzy
