………..The President put his Presidency on the line, but Galamsey became worse, the soldiers were called into action, and they became Galamsey kingpins. What next?
Are you aware Ghana is teetering on the edge of becoming a failed state? Yes, I am talking about failed states like Haiti and the Democratic Republic of Congo or countries run by cartels that create alternate governments, like Mexico and Colombia. I may sound like a proud “purposeless lament,” but hear me out.
The moment you throw a national problem at the military and police, and it does not get solved immediately, you have prepared a cocktail of chaos. How? For at least nine years, the military has been co-opted to “fight” the galamsey menace, yet intervention has failed.
The Galamsey Menace
Galamsey operators have weaponized, fueled by the easy money from gold, to combat the military. Some now possess the latest pump-action shotguns to ward off anyone they deem a threat. They are ready to kill to protect their turf from intruders or anyone they consider unfriendly. With no jobs, more youth in the hinterlands are lured by the promise of easy money from galamsey, packaged as a steady small income doing almost the same thing as back-breaking work.
The Power Struggle
The galamsey space is run by kingpins in conjunction with chiefs, area thugs, and political appointees. Disputes over territory are inevitable, especially if one person finds more gold than others. As gold prospecting is hit-or-miss and experimental without structured testing, people will gravitate towards where they believe more gold is.
When these disputes start, gangs will form, turning to the law of the jungle. Richer and bigger gangs will swallow smaller ones. The military will become passengers on the boat, with individuals or officers joining one side or the other. They will train these gangs in using weaponry, making them more sophisticated and motivated.
Corruption and Compromise
The corrupted police must start picking sides, resulting in a kill-or-be-killed situation. If you can’t play ball, you will be eliminated or transferred. This will begin at the town level and then grow to district and regional levels.
Worrying documents suggest that DIHOC, the industrial wing of the Ghana Army, has recently been given 10 gold concessions. If the army is given concessions, it will focus on minting its own gold. What moral right will it have to block others from doing the same?
Political Complicity
Politicians on both sides of the two major political parties have expressed fear of stopping galamsey because they fear losing votes. This means these politicians will allow themselves to be bought by galamsey kingpins. Suppose the politicians, police, and soldiers have been bought or compromised. What chance does the “independent” judiciary stand when they have already shown their cards as the machinery of those at the top?
The Youth’s Future
The youth, who today are being manipulated by politicians for small, quick gratifications, will grow into adulthood to face these challenges. They won’t have anywhere to go and must survive this nonsense. Know that the kingpins, politicians, galamsey lords, barons, etc., that fools are hailing in the streets today, and the useless doctors, MPs, professors, pastors, chiefs, etc., who sit unconcerned to stop galamsey because their kids don’t live in Ghana!
You will be here suffering in a failed state while their “generational wealth” built off our stupidity feeds them in foreign lands where they will prosper alone. If you are a Ghanaian youth today and think this doesn’t concern you, or you support a politician because of something small, know that you will grow up in a failed state where even drinking water and minding your business will be a luxury.
The Snowball Effect
Chiefs, military, judges, and the “I don’t care group ” will be powerless if you keep quiet today. Your institutions, like OSP, Attorney General’s, CHRAJ, Prisons, etc., will be powerless and servants of cartels. You will not know peace.
When it gets to this point, they will take over party politics and everyone else, start killing perceived enemies, and the territory wars and gangs will leave the hinterlands and penetrate the cities. Smaller gang members who couldn’t compete would become highwaymen or robbers in the towns, complicating an already complicated crime scene.
Gun runners, corrupt security services, and foreigners will come in and play the game. Our democracy will either be dictated by them or overthrown by them (survival of the fittest). At the height of lawlessness, rivers will be polluted beyond redemption, river fish, crops, and others will be seriously compromised, while water will be hard to come by. Our gangs will start controlling water. Do you get the drift? It’s a giant snowball effect.
Conclusion
Ghana stands at a critical juncture. The galamsey menace is not just an environmental issue but a ticking time bomb that threatens the very fabric of our society. Immediate, decisive action is needed to prevent the descent into chaos. The time to act is now before it’s too late.
Writer: Selorm Branttie/sankofaonline.com