The ‘galamsey’ menace: A ticking time bomb

The recent attack on AngloGold Ashanti's concession by armed illegal miners, resulting in the death of seven people is a stark reminder of the galamsey menace that has plagued Ghana's mining industry for years.

This brazen attack was not an isolated incident. The company had repeatedly complained about the encroachment of illegal miners on its concession, who bore arms and threatened workers.

It reminds us of a similar attack on February 8, 2016, which led to the death of the company’s Communications Director, John Owusu.

The Obuasi mine, in particular, has been a hotbed of galamsey activity, with armed miners attacking anybody who dares to cross their path. The situation has become so dire that the company was forced to shut down operations temporarily, only to return later.

Fast forward to Sunday, January 19, and yet another group of illegal miners met their untimely death in a fierce gun battle with the military, who have been tasked with providing additional security for the mine.

The audacity of these armed illegal miners is a clear indication that we are sitting on a ticking time bomb. The galamsey menace has become a national security threat and we must take decisive action to address it. 

The fact that some authorities tasked with keeping us safe have been complicit in advancing the galamsey project is a clear indication of the depth of the problem.

Furthermore, the political echelon's failure to take decisive action against galamsey operators, who have destroyed water bodies, farmlands and posed a significant threat to the health of communities, is a clear dereliction of duty. 

The promise of votes has been used to justify the entrenchment of this illegal activity, which has brought nothing but harm to the environment and the economy.

The Graphic Business welcomes the President's call for investigations into the recent upheavals in Obuasi. However, we must go beyond investigations and take concrete actions to address the galamsey menace. 

Businesses such as AngloGold Ashanti cannot be made to go through the ritual of always having to deal with threats on the lives of their employees. This sends a clear signal to investors that Ghana is not ready for business.

Businesses need a sound environment and an atmosphere that inspires confidence, not one where they have to constantly look over their shoulders. 

If the state cannot protect investors' interests in their assets, then we have no business seeking investors to invest in the country. The Graphic Business is an advocate for local participation in the mining sector and employment opportunities for the youth in local areas.

However, illegal mining cannot be allowed to flourish under the guise of youth employment. We must learn from neighbouring countries where armed militants protecting natural resources have found the added lucrative business of kidnapping foreigners and girls, butchering entire communities as a past-time hobby, all because of the inertia of the political class to act.

If we fail to take decisive actions now to deal with the galamsey scourge, we hasten to predict a national disaster the likes of which we may not be able to reverse. 

The galamsey issue is one very critical area that needs resetting. It cannot be business as usual. We must act now to prevent a catastrophe.