GALAMSEY

Illegal mining popularly known in Ghana as “Galamsey” is a very worrying and threatening activity that harms us as human beings and the environment as a whole. Various measures have been put in place to help combat this unfortunate phenomenon in Ghana but the more we try to avoid it, the more people are getting into it. In my first series of Stop Exploiting Africa, I touched on illegal logging of rosewood in Ghana and I established the identity of those behind it. In this edition, I will provide image visuals and some names of Chinese Nationals who are destroying Africa and my country Ghana.

Galamsey is an illegal form of mining for minerals like Gold and Diamond. It comes with the destruction of vegetation, land, water sources like rivers and running streams and it again contributes to air pollution. The machines mounted on the water sources for the mining produces millions and millions of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and we all would attest to it as a fact that Global Warming which we are all fighting against is what this carbon dioxide released from the operations of illegal miners would increase to harm us all.

Below are some effects of Galamsey

·        It destroys vegetation thereby increasing global warming.

·        When the land has been mined from and it is not covered, it becomes a death trap for human beings and animals.

·        It destroys and pollutes water bodies.

·        It is a source of air pollution.

Can we ever overcome Galamsey in Ghana and Africa? Yes but that will only happen when we get good leaders to lead the country. Good in the sense that, the government should be able to say no to certain demands from foreign countries especially outside Africa that will harm the environment. The government should not release foreign nationals who are caught destroying our environment like Aisha Huang (Queen of Galamsey) in exchange for aid. The Senior Minister of Ghana while addressing a town hall in the US, said jailing the Chinese nationals (Aisha Huang and her colleagues), who were standing trials for illegal mining, would not have made Ghanaians or the government happy because it would not have solved Ghana’s Economic Problems.

Last year I remember that the government placed a ban on mining whether legal or illegal. Perpetrators were arrested and jailed. So what changed? Foreign influences are putting pressure on the government so indeed Exploiting of Africa is still ongoing. Take a look at our water bodies and see how they are being destroyed. An image is attached, This is too bad! 

Stop Exploiting Africa!