But like many believe, Lands and Natural Resources Minister,  John Peter Amewu cannot continue going round inspecting and stopping illegal miners across the country.

He will eventually wear out of energy and resources. Even as he is going round, we’ve heard of those who do the illegal thing in the night.

We also know of the many Chinese nationals who are hiding in rented houses and hotels in Wassa Akropong and its environs, hoping Mr. Amewu, and for that matter government wears out of energy so they could return the illegality.

We even know of those who are using the ban period as a time to fix their excavators for a “possible” return. We know of all that. It is now imperative for government to roll out its proposed five-year solution to ending the menace.

While at that, government and other stakeholders may consider these suggestions:

Government’s Role
This ban period, even though not 100 percent complied is a fine opportunity for the government to get it right this time.

1. As majority of the miners have stopped, deploy a team of mining inspectors to example the Prestea Huni Valley District. Task them to identify people with funds to genuinely invest in small scale and “medium” scale mining.

Open a register and run a public radio announcement to that effect. Let the inspectors NOT dwell so much on the already compromised Small Scale Mining Association members. Some of them are compromised. Now, after doing that for a month, you could have about 50 “leaders” wanting to invest in genuine small scale, and 30 willing for “medium” scale.

2. Run another public announcement for members in the district who say their livelihood depend on mining to register with the team of expert you have deployed. This should comprise of excavator operators, women who carry the ore, grinders, washers and those who sell food items. [Tell the team that they will get shocked by the many children below 18 years showing up to register] Take the opportunity to announce for submission of application by persons who will want to join the government’s tree planting team. NB: This whole registration should take up to three months.

3. Hire some of the people who do prospecting for the small scale miners to join a team of Mineral Prospecting Officers from Minerals Commission to identify areas where the minerals are deposited. [Those prospectors should be part of Minerals Commission’s officers for a good reason]. Now, by the technology this team will use, they should be able to identify areas suitable for small scale investors with traditional tools, and areas good for medium scale miners with excavators.

NB: River bodies are a no go area! The ban could be lifted when this team has finished its work.

4. Let the big mining firms who are ready to release some of their concessions, or who have failed to work on their concessions do so to curtail people secretly going to their concessions to dig.

5. Now, get the investors in both small and medium scale to employ the people identified and registered in point 2 above. Ban the investors from engaging non registered people in the communities. Then put them in a cooperative of some sort. After they are absorbed, give the areas zoned to the investors according to their interest and strength.

6. At this point, get your field inspectors in place. You can call them Mining Police, just like the Marine Police. They must have a reclamation plan in place. They should be enough in number such that, they can do their “policing” work effectively. After an investor and his group members are done mining on a concession, they team up with the inspectors to reclaim the land and plant trees on the concession.

7. When the inspectors are satisfied with the reclamation work done by one investor and his group members, a new zone will be opened to them.

8. Traditional authorities in these districts are a force to reckon with. Let the Office of Administrator of Stool Lands work on their royalties quicker to discourage chiefs from giving out their lands to nonregistered members.

9. Introduce Water Resource Police. Get the Water Resource Commission Police to team up with the Minerals Commission inspectors above to police the major river bodies.

10. For the Chinese, get a directorate to deal with them. Have a division at the Minerals Commission which will take inventory of foreigners who wish to provide the “technical support” the small scale mining act 1989, Act 218 talked about. Their restaurants and all manner of things springing up in Wassa Akropong; sorry, Wassa Shanghai needs to be regulated. Their booming retailing business MUST be stopped in compliance with the laws of Ghana.

Government will have to fast track the setting in motion of some of these recommendations to avert a possible come back of the illegal miners, for their accumulated wealth are fast depleting.

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By: Obrempong Yaw Ampofo/citifmonline.com/Ghana
E-mail: [email protected]

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Dear Radio*,

Your coming into Ghana has been good for our democracy.

You brought an era of “days in the dark” to an end. You became irresistible in giving back power to the sons and daughters of our land. When people asked to be heard, you gave them the microphones. Thank you Radio!

Since private radio was “conceived” by the 1992 constitution [Article 162(3), it was not until June 1995 that Joy Fm was licensed to operate as a private radio. Prior to that in May 1994, Charles Wireko Brobbey [Tarzan] and his team of technicians were arrested for broadcasting his “Radio Eye” channel in Accra.

Tarzan’s broadcast was shut down by state security 24 hours after first broadcast. His crime was that, airing his channel was an attempt at breaking state monopoly over broadcasting. At this time however, the constitution had been “pregnant” of private radio liberty for some two years.

The real ‘freedom’ came when radio was reborn in the 2000s. The criminal libel law was repealed, and that opened the floodgates to freedom of speech ‘on radio’. Everyone was happy, including the Montie 3.

But my father was super happy. At least, he could finish his two balls of Fufu and light soup in peace without having to be dragged before the local Sanhedrin for commenting on the state of affairs at a public gathering in the village.

That was courtesy, radio privatization!
But dear Radio, you are 20 something years old in Ghana, and as it is expected of every maturing adult, a great sense of maturity is to be exhibited. Sadly, you appear fixated. You appear taking too much political breast milk even in your adulthood. You are eating too much “kooko” after 2 decades of being fed.

Radio and the “Political breast milk”
Dear Radio, be reminded that political figures in the 90s opposed the idea of your privatization. They feared their interests were going to be thwarted when you inform Ghanaians regularly of their actions. And so when they realized that your privatization was inevitable, they appeared to be your friends. In truth, they wanted to control you, which is why they continue to feed you with “breast milk”. They now own and influence your content.

But Radio, consider this: There were times in human history when political power was aggressively snatched and taken over by military men. After years of abuse, corruption, famine, under development, atrocities and misgovernment etc., time proved that the military regime was not “friendly”.

Democracy was opted. But democracy also meant “all” citizens agreeing to hand over power to a group of people through the ballot. With evidence of abuse of power in some democracies, this power needed to be policed by the citizens. The citizens entrusted this policing work largely to radio or the media.

Radio then became one of the means of serving as watchdog over politicians. That explains why the media is the fourth most powerful organ of the state. You police the executive, judiciary and the legislature. If you have realized, not every citizen is able to go to places where journalist are permitted entry. So, Radio, you dare not fail democracy!

But as you continue to go about your policing work, Radio, politicians will want to feed you with their milk, and will do anything to get you to drink. The reason?

“When a million people hear the same subject matter, the same arguments and appeals, the same music and humor, when their attention is held in the same way and at the same time to the same stimuli, it is psychologically inevitable that they should acquire in some degree common interests, common tastes and common attitudes”. [Cantrell H. and Allport G.W. 1935]

With this in their minds, you have to guard against their tricks. They will want to use you to propagate their lies and cover their wrongs. You should not sit down for this group to decide what you police. Know that there is going to be a real threat. Drink not their milk, Radio!

At this stage, permit me to pay glowing tribute to some of your finest sons, at least those that I met.

Radio, encourage the likes of Bernard Avle, Kwame Sefa Kayi, Richard Dela Sky etc. who I know match these politicians boot for boot on their channels not to sway. Tell the upcoming practitioners to learn from these ones. Let them know how radio started, where it has reached, and where it is going. Tell them to stop wining and dining with politicians.

Radio in the gutters
At the national level, radio, sometime in 2016 turned against people who fought for its liberation. Judges who fought for media freedom were the people you sought to abuse. The Montie 3 is an example. Some of your sons have wined and dined with those in power to their entrapment. They have fallen in love with their wine. As a result, they spit fire [biegya] uncontrollably. But the aftermath we all know. This was at the national level.

In rural Ghana, Radio, the story may not be same, but also disturbing. Many of the Radio channels are sadly owned by people Radio must police. I believe you see the irony here! Picture a rural politician knowing he or she is one step close to either a win or lose in an election. They decide the content and pattern of what presenters and host should say. They pay for abusive language, intimidating commentary, shallow debates, biased commentators, skewed news content, cooked up stories among others. That’s what radio sees in rural Ghana. In fact, in rural Ghana, I am tempted to say Radio sees dirty local politics than probably in the big cities. Like what is done on Montie or Oman Fm, a stance is taken to discredit opposing political parties. Politicians are supported by some watchdogs to drag radio into the gutters!

Fixated Radio
Society is dynamic. It keeps changing at all levels. Our collective developmental needs too; either as individuals, town council, sub metro, district, region or a country keeps evolving. For radio to be relevant and police power, it needs to follow the trend, invest in research, give in house training to its staff and employ new hands when the need be. The ultimate goal is to get people in power do the right thing.

Sadly, many rural radios are repeating what listeners have been told years back. No investment into finding new heights. I got furious last week when one radio station in Cape Coast was asking listeners to comment on whether they will like to marry a rich man or poor man. In this day and age in the 21st century?

Others have also resorted to affiliating. A rural radio seeing national news as its major news bulletin is problematic. Affiliating, despite its other importance impedes rural development. It does not encourage rural radios to invest in research that will grow themselves and their communities. Do you see Peace Fm or Adom Fm listing over a hundred affiliate radios during their news bulletin? The numbers even keeps growing!

Like police, radio is always looking for the bad guys and unravels their bad acts. If the police are not well trained or resourced, your guess is as good as mine. In short, radio, we are in the 21st century, wean yourself from politicians, they are not your friends! Invest in research and data collection. Keep your library in shape for long, and build the capacity of your staff.

Remember where you were, and the treatment politicians meted out to you before your privatization. Remember where you have reached, and where you want to go.

Know that you have people more than politicians to account to. Notice that power belongs to the people, and whichever group they wish to give, they do. Understand your place in this democratic dispensation. Notice that the 21st century politician is more cunning than you might have thought! Above all, notice that the interest of the people overrides our individual wishes.
Thank you Radio
[*Radio as used here refers to the media; print, online and other forms]

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By: Obrempong Yaw Ampofo/citifmonline.com/Ghana
[[email protected]]

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