Good Move In The Anti Galamsey Fight

Finally the President has directed the Ghana Armed Forces to take over the fight against illegal small scale mining and remove all persons and logistics involved in the criminal act.

Fortunately, the Armed Forces is not a public relations outfit or a part of the hospitality sector that would be treating persons involved in wrong doing with kids gloves.

They are a Force backed by law and the rules of their game is obey before complain. They have enough weapons to apply ‘minimum force’ where necessary. Nothing stops them and they stop at nothing.

The Thunder is exceptionally glad that the statement issued by Minister for Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, to announce the directive said the order was for the Armed forces to remove ALL PERSONS AND LOGISTICS; meaning there would be no bias, selective removal or any form of consideration.

All persons and logistics means all persons and logistics; nothing more, nothing less.

It means irrespective of the person’s political affiliation, religious affiliation, position and status in society, tribe, academic credentials, age, gender or influence, the removal shall be done.

Until the sad issue of illegal small scale mining is tackled with a fair and firm approach and without fear or favour, we would only be wasting our own time and joking with a problem that can sink the whole country’s economy.

President Akufo-Addo has an opportunity, in this second term, to leave an enviable legacy for himself as the President who solved Ghana’s illegal mining menace. What a golden way to sculpt his name in the books of history.

The President has so far demonstrated commitment to the fight against illegal mining but , truth be told, that commitment has not yielded the expected results.

It would not be wrong to say the persons he trusted and expected to help wage the anti illegal mining crusade have mostly let him down. And let the country down.

They have let him down big time. Most of them are his party people and appointees. Some got exposed but in the name of avoiding a collateral damage, they were left off the hook in a smart way.

Yes, government can continue to ask for hard core evidence to prosecute well connected culprits in the courts of law but the court of public opinion, including the opinions of persons who live and work in the illegal mining sites cannot be taken for granted. In fact some of these opinions are backed by facts.

At the end of the day, the pollution of the country’s water bodies have become worst than this government met it. Meanwhile the same government has shown more commitment the fight than any other government in the history of the country.

Protecting the illegal businesses of private individuals being done to the detriment of the entire country cannot and should not be tolerated and this must be drummed home as loud as possible.

The Thunder has not lost hope. We are of a firm believe that the President means well and he can succeed if he gets the requisite support of the persons he has put in office to stop the menace.

We welcome the Armed Forces and hope and pray they do not get compromised just as the several other individuals and groups commissioned to join the fight ended up.

The Armed Forces, if not for anything, should prove to us all that one of their own, Major Mahama, did not die a useless death.