Since we attained independence from British colonial rule in 1957, various political administrations, including both civilian and military regimes, which have been in office in Ghana, have pursued various strategies and programmes to combat galamsey.
Unfortunately, in spite of all these interventions, we continue to reel from the effects of galamsey.
In this article, I discuss the serious weaknesses in the multi-party system of government and propose the adoption of the Union Government, which would not only ensure the security of the state but also harness the skills and talents of all Ghanaian citizens to ensure their well-being and improvement in their living conditions.
Government purpose
A government is primarily responsible for the security of the state and the well-being and welfare of the citizens.
In the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke in the Good News Bible, our Lord Jesus Christ cautioned against divisions among the citizens of the country:
• Matthew 12:25 – Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he said to them, " Any country that divides itself into groups which fight each other will not last very long. And any town or family that divides itself into groups which fight each other will fall apart."
• Mark 3:24-25 – if a country divides itself into groups which fight each other, that country will fall apart. If a family divides itself into groups which fight each other, that family will fall apart.
• Luke 11: 17 – But Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he said to them, " Any country that divides itself into groups which fight each other will not last very long; a family divided against itself falls apart."
Ghana’s case
We have not heeded the caution our Lord Jesus Christ gave over 2000 years ago.
We have formed various political parties with different ideologies, which have divided the Ghanaian citizens into groups.
Some of the direct consequences of these divisions are:
• Our inability to agree on a National Development Plan for the country, which would be upgraded periodically.
As a result, each political party prepares its own manifesto, not based on the National Development Plan.
As a result, successor administrations stop work on development projects such as hospitals, schools and roads.
This practice worsens the unemployment situation in the country and leads to the loss of huge resources spent on the projects.
• The “winner-takes-all" system. Instead of employing the best talents available in the country, political administrations use only members from the ruling party in making appointments to various positions, not always based on merit and competence.
• Our inability to reach an agreement on critical national issues such as Galamsey. We are quick to point out the shortcomings in policy measures taken by the administration in office, but are reluctant to contribute to the resolution of the problems.
Some of the effects of galamsey include contaminated water in communities, diseases, the destruction of farmlands and livelihoods.
Adoption of Union Government
I propose the adoption of Union Government, which would be non-partisan and harness the skills and talents of the citizens of Ghana to ensure national security and improvement in their well-being and living conditions.
It was a Greek philosopher who said that, “The unexamined life is not worth living." As we have seen, the practice of party politics has not served us well.
We are facing a threat to our very existence.
We should, therefore, heed the caution given by our Lord Jesus Christ. Divided we fall; united we stand.
The writer was a member of the 1978 Constitutional Drafting Commission.
