![\"EXTRA2\"](\"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/EXTRA2.jpg\")
<\/p>\nOn 23rd August 2016, the Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing Dr. Kweku Agyemang Mensah, made a short but powerful statement at Bonsaso Water Treatment Station at Bonsaso.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Bonsaso is in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipal Assembly of the western region. His statement went beyond complaining about the effects of illegal mining on river bodies. It also\u00a0showed that:<\/p>\n
1. Government is either playing to the gallery about fighting illegal mining, or<\/p>\n
2. Government is employing diversionary tactics to continue protecting and shielding the kingpins behind the act or that<\/p>\n
3. Government lacks the competence to deal with illegal mining, which I\u00a0am very skeptical of.<\/p>\n
Hear him:<\/p>\n
![\"2\"](\"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/2-4.jpg\")
\n\u201cThe question is, we know those who do it. We know. They are in our communities. Their relatives are assemblymen. In certain areas, you hear of some chief executives involved in galamsey. District police commanders involved in galamsey. Chiefs involved in galamsey. But I remember when I was a regional minister, we had an operation. It was done from Accra. A week later, I went to the community just to find out, and I had a discussion with the local chief. Then he said \u201coh chief, the thing that you came to do, it leaked\u201d. And I said no no no, the people came from Accra. He said \u201coh, a day before, the Chinese guy took some machines and hid them somewhere. So I asked him why are you moving your machines. He said oh; we have a hint that there will be an action tomorrow\u201d. That tells you how difficult it is to stump this thing out. So unless we take drastic measures or maybe those machines we don\u2019t even allow them to be brought into the country\u201d.<\/p>\n
Dr. Agyemang Mensah made these observations when he was touring water treatment facilities in the western region.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s do a bit of analysis of his statement.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know them\u201d- Indeed, you know them! Even if you don\u2019t, you can know if you wish to.
\n![\"EXTRA](\"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/EXTRA-3.jpg\")
\nDr. Agyemang said \u201cwe know those who do it. We know them\u2026assemblymen, chiefs, district police commanders, district chief executives\u2026\u201d Question: How long have you known that these persons are involved? At least nearly a decade or more!<\/p>\n
![\"EXTRA](\"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/EXTRA-5.png\")
<\/p>\n
![\"4\"](\"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/4.png\")
![\"5\"](\"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/5-648x1024.png\")
\nThat fact is that,\u00a0the Water Resources Commission\u2019s [WRC], has carried a research on River pollution. Their research pointed out an astronomical increase in water pollution since 2005. How many years now? 11 years. Is government aware of these heartbreaking findings? A big yes! Why? The Water Resource Commission reports to the ministry or the government so to speak.<\/p>\n
But who has\u00a0government arrested or held accountable? As far as I\u2019m concerned, no chief executive, no district police commander or a chief has been dragged before the law for involving directly or indirectly in illegal mining. Isn\u2019t it because the government knows them?<\/p>\n
Besides, when illegal mining equipment [particularly the Changfans] are transported, don\u2019t they cross the over 15 police checkpoints on our roads from Tema to Takoradi and beyond?<\/p>\n
Another question: Who are these persons the minister is accusing working for? The state! DCEs are appointed directly by the president. District Police Commanders are with the interior ministry. The assemblymen? They are in an authority of some sort. The chiefs involved no longer represent the interest of their people and so government must put them back on track.<\/p>\n
Isn\u2019t it reasonable then that the government starts fighting illegal mining from within its own circles?<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to take drastic measures\u201d- Forget it. It\u2019s a diversionary tactic!<\/p>\n
![\"6\"](\"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/6-3.jpg\")
\nDr. Agyemang also said \u201cunless we take drastic measures\u2026\u201d Drastic measures? Which drastic measures is he referring to? The use of\u00a0Inter-ministerial task-force on illegal miners? Forget it. It failed. It was unsustainable and ineffective. After all the brutalities, illegal mining has gained renewed spirit in River Pra and those around.<\/p>\n
Use the Bogoso-Bawdie road in the Western Region, and see it done in broad daylight and by the highway. On a more serious note, this approach is a diversionary tactics employed by the government to get citizens into believing it is fighting the canker.<\/p>\n
Consider this:
\nTask-force pulled its self-destruct button from day one! It was built on sand.
\n1. Has the task-force blocked the importation of the Changfans used on rivers?<\/p>\n
2. Have they carried out intelligence through the district BNI officers in the affected areas to identify the owners, numbers and importers of the Changfans?<\/p>\n
3. If this intelligence were carried and done properly, was it not going to be more prudent to have used the police to arrest and confiscate their\u00a0Changfans? Was the task-force going to be needed at all?<\/p>\n
4. Doesn\u2019t the increased activity of River mining in the same areas the task-force operated send a signal that the task-force has failed or its work was unsustainable?<\/p>\n
It may be very disrespectful to suggest that government functionaries did not consider these issues before constituting the inter-ministerial task task-force. Interestingly however, if they did consider and realize it was unsustainable, does it not raise eyebrows?<\/p>\n
Doesn\u2019t it tell us that governments have been employing diversionary tactics to avoid the more correct approach to\u00a0ending illegal mining particularly in rivers?<\/p>\n
What will you say to people who believe government functionaries are involved in the activity?\u00a0And that they make a lot of ‘untaxed’ and illicit revenue from the illegality?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Check this out too:
\n\u201cBut I remember when I was a regional minister, we had an operation. It was done from Accra. A week later, I went to the community just to find out, and I had a discussion with the local chief. Then he said \u201coh chief, the thing that you came to do, it leaked\u201d. And I said no no no, the people came from Accra. He said \u201coh, a day before, the Chinese guy took some machines and hid them somewhere. So I asked him why are you moving your machines. He said oh we have a hint that there will be an action tomorrow\u201d.<\/p>\n
![\"EXTRA](\"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/EXTRA-6.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Oh my word! Consider this: If owners of the equipment [Changfan] or beneficiaries are not in government, how could the Chinese operators know there was going to be an operation by the task-force when the task-force was inter-ministerial?<\/p>\n
Doesn\u2019t the above statement add to the thoughts that the National Task-force on Illegal Mining was a diversionary tactics by government to make Ghanaians feel that it was working to curb illegal mining?<\/p>\n
Inter-ministerial\u00a0task-force\u00a0was ad-hoc and ineffective – Minerals Commission<\/strong><\/p>\n I didn\u2019t say those words, an industry player did. But more critical questions arise from the establishment of this inter-ministerial task-force.<\/p>\n Was due diligence done?<\/p>\n Question is, who gives these Chinese their Visa into the country?<\/p>\n Who questioned them on what they were going to do, and what did they say?<\/p>\n Who granted them visas?<\/p>\n Who cleared them on the importation of the Changfans?<\/p>\n How come it’s mostly Chinese who are into this illegal trade? Does our government have any underhand deal with them?<\/p>\n What did the intelligence say [if there was any] about how many Chinese and changfans are in the communities?<\/p>\n How difficult was it for the state to recall them to warrant such drastic engagement?<\/p>\n What was the answer to these questions when the Chinese started digging our farms, cocoa and river bodies to alarming levels, before establishing the inter-ministerial task-force?<\/p>\n And finally, how was this inter-ministerial task-force going to be sustained?<\/p>\n My mind tells me the absence of this due diligence was to build up the diversionary tactic! My opinion.<\/p>\n But whichever way you look at it, there seem to be a missing link between what government functionaries [know] about illegal mining and what they [say] and [do] at ending it. Will proper data\/intelligence gathering expose the hidden hands at work? They seem to be profiting from the confusion.<\/p>\n Small Scale, surface mining or illegal mining?<\/strong> So the lack of clarity in the minds of policing institutions especially the media, is the strength on which the illegality thrives. Can the Minerals Commission, the Chamber of Mines and government for that matter identify perhaps five\u00a0of the registered small\/surface mining companies which have not polluted any river for the past two to five years in its operational areas? I doubt, but there are over hundreds of them registered in the fine books of government agencies. I challenge them to publish the companies for us to do independent checks on them.<\/p>\n Clearly, our country seems to have found a nice way of confusing us all to sleep on galamsey matters. And trust me, they benefit when the media talks about it because, they will have the opportunity to throw more dust in.<\/p>\n \u2018Drastic measure\u2019 is deceptive. It\u2019s a usual talk shop! In 2015, acute water shortage hit the people at Adoagyiri in the Eastern Region. Government functionaries [visited] the site and recommended a dredging exercise. [The exercise was not described as drastic]. The dredging was done and water started flowing. Bingo! Well done! But did that exempt the facility from the threat of illegal mining? A big NO! So was dredging the problem? Again NO! Was the dredging sustainable? Another No! Good!<\/p>\n So it was the river that was drying up because of mining in the river.<\/p>\n Did the visiting government functionaries know that; 2.<\/strong>That the course of the river has been widened by the miners reducing the amount and flow speed of the river to the plant\u2019s intake point?<\/p>\n 3.<\/strong> That, there is no ban on the importation of Chinese made Changfan machines used to excavate and divert affected rivers?<\/p>\n 4.<\/strong> That this ad-hoc diversionary tactics has been employed in time past but has not yielded any lasting result?<\/p>\n Dr. Agyemang, thanks for confusing us with your[drastic measure proposal]. There is more \u2018playing to the gallery\u2019 evidence here. Shockingly, the spokesperson found it convenient to announce the closure. He could have outlined \u2018genuine committed spirit\u201d as well. But what did he do? He shifted blame or made it appear as though they have done all they could to end the canker but to no avail. Hear him:<\/p>\n \u201cThe activities of galamsey operators have become a source of worry. As soon as the minister visits the site [Water Treatment site], then these operators run into the bush; but whenever we return to our various offices, these guys come back to operate\u201d. [Quoted by citifmonline.com]<\/p>\n Is it not an indication that the ministry is just playing to the gallery? Wasn\u2019t same announcement made in 2015 at Adoagyiri? Hmm!!!<\/p>\n \u201cEven the president has been here!\u201d<\/p>\n When any ordinary person walks to the Daboase Water Treatment Plant intake point at Daboase in the Wassa East District of the western region, you will see visibly without any difficulty\u00a0in some less than 20 meters [yes meters not kilometers] that illegal miners are busily digging so close to the plant. The illegal miners will occasionally warn the staff of Ghana Water Company not to get into their territory.<\/p>\n Meanwhile the management of the plant noted that \u201cwe have explained our issues clearly. We have explained how much chemicals we have had to use to purify the water because of the galamsey activities. Since I came here in 2012, we\u2019ve had many several people in government visiting. We\u2019ve had ministers, and even our president has been here to see the devastation illegal mining is causing us,\u201d Quamena Acquah, Communications officer-Ghana Water Company Limited-Western Region to Citi News<\/strong>.<\/p>\n How long did he say ministers and the president have been visiting the plant? 4 years ago! Since 2012! Even that is when he was posted there.<\/p>\n So where is the headway if \u201cThe activities of galamsey operators have become a source of worry? As soon as the minister visits the site [Water Treatment site], then these operators run into the bush; but whenever we return to our various offices, these guys come back to operate\u201d. [Quoted by citifmonline.com]<\/p>\n Dr Kweku Agyemang Mensah is still talking. Mind you he was the former minister of health who should understand better the implication of consuming water with high concentrations of chemicals. He said\u2026 Specifically to mining in rivers, the common method to use is the use of Changfan which the minister was asking whether we stop its importation or not.<\/p>\n Question is, why will anybody who wants to genuinely end mining in rivers in particular contemplate on [maybe] banning the importation of the Changfan?<\/p>\n Doesn\u2019t that explain that there is more at stake when it is banned?<\/p>\n If it is taking you [maybes] to stop the importation of a machine with a single purpose of digging in rivers, how could you deal with excavators used for illegal mining on land with multiple uses?<\/p>\n For the record, his statement exposes the hypocrisy with which the Inter-ministerial task-force in 2013 was established, under the leadership of the now Minister for Roads and Highways Hon. Innusa Fuseini; who was then the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources. But we have already dealt with that above.<\/p>\n Bu I was also asking myself that going forward\u2026.<\/p>\n Will more inter-ministerial crackdowns solve illegal mining?<\/p>\n Besides, a more punitive crackdown could lead to needless deaths and lawlessness, when the substantive issue have not been addressed. If it takes similar dimension as the former, it will not take long for illegal mining to return because it may not be financially sustainable.<\/p>\n For the REGSEC and DISEC teams deployed to deal with this problem, they should save us by doing the right thing at the grassroots which is\u00a0using the right approach.<\/p>\n The swoops once in a while will not save the situation as they may know the political interest at stake. But as it is said, the fish starts going bad from its head; and so if we come back sometime soon to talk about illegal mining again, I will not be surprised!<\/p>\n If the vested interests are so much from the top to the point that insiders from the top can leak information to the illegal Chinese miners on impending crackdowns, how about the tail?<\/p>\n True meaning of Dr. Agyemang\u2019s drastic measures? Indeed, drastic measures will be required when the people involved or behind the illegal mining are cronies attached to state agencies or appointees of the government. [DCEs, Police Commanders and chiefs etc].<\/p>\n If not, how drastic should this be if the 5 to 10 miners on each Changfan on the rivers are really those we see and not working for bigwigs in society or government functionaries?<\/p>\n From the above, won’t it\u00a0be reasonable to conclude, that government functionaries have found an express revenue highway?<\/p>\n –<\/p>\n By: Obrempong Yaw Ampofo\/citifmonline.com\/Ghana<\/p>\n The writer; Obrempong Yaw Ampofo, is a broadcast journalist specialized\u00a0in reporting on Natural Resource and Cash Crops. His works cover the Oil and Gas, gold mining, cocoa and the fishing industry.<\/p>\n Email: walkerjazzy23@gmail.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" On 23rd August 2016, the Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing Dr. Kweku Agyemang Mensah, made a short but powerful statement at Bonsaso Water Treatment Station at Bonsaso. Bonsaso is in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipal Assembly of the western region. His statement went beyond complaining about the effects of illegal mining on river bodies. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[374],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"8\"](\"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/8-2.jpg\")
\nThe Public Relations Officer for the Minerals Commission, Isaac Abraham, recently indicated in a media interview that \u201cthe task-force clamping down on the illegality has proven not to be the way to go. We need to talk more for the people to change their attitudes rather than always using security on them. This inter-ministerial task-force was just ad-hoc and ineffective because of the magnitude of illegal mining at that time. Financially sustaining it was also impossible and therefore a long lasting approach needs to be adopted.”<\/p>\n![\"9B\"](\"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/9B.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"9A\"](\"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/9A.jpg\")
\nIn 2013, the inter-ministerial task-force on illegal mining was setup by President John Dramani Mahama to \u201ccrackdown\u201d on illegal miners. This was at a time when many foreign nationals [mainly Chinese] had taken over illegal mining in Ghana.<\/p>\n
\nAnother confusion which seems very much alive and actively harnessed by persons behind the pollution of water bodies and all the odds of illegal mining is the confusion surrounding [small scale mining], [Surface mining] and [illegal mining]. The lack of a clear distinction between the three activities hampers the so-called fight against the canker. When you visit Wassa Akropong and all other areas, apart from those on rivers, every miner will point to a form of legal document surrounding his or her operations. The irony is that, it is this same activity which is polluting every water body in the western region.<\/p>\n
\nIt is true, and here is why.<\/p>\n![\"10\"](\"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/10-1.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\n1.<\/strong> Many artificial islands have been created by the illegal miners at many parts of the river and that stops the flow of the river?<\/p>\n
\nBut on a serious note, the Kyebi Treatment Plant is down and I’ve not heard of how and when it is getting back on stream.<\/p>\n
\nMore \u2018gallery evidence<\/p>\n![\"11\"](\"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/11.png\")
\nHmm, I can\u2019t think far! Anyway! Public Relations Officer for the Ministry of Water Resource Works and Housing Abraham Otabil, was reported as announcing the imminent shutdown of three Water Treatment Plants; the Kyebi, Daboase and Barekese water treatment Plants.<\/p>\n![\"12\"](\"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/12.png\")
<\/p>\n
\n\u201cMaybe those machines we don\u2019t even allow them into the country\u201d<\/p>\n![\"13B\"](\"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/13B.jpg\")
![\"13A\"](\"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/13A.jpg\")
\nI was shocked to hear him prefix his comment with \u201cmaybe\u2019. But I understand. Let\u2019s dig deeper into this statement, and see how it has different ramifications.<\/p>\n![\"14A\"](\"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/14A.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\nI am just wondering which other method of\u00a0\u00a0combating illegal mining will be more drastic than armed military men and police, arresting and burning Changfans, and in some cases brutalizing illegal miners? Some even die. Won\u2019t that fail on the part of alluvial mining? The import of Changfans, no matter the aggressiveness, will not stop when it has not been criminalized.<\/p>\n
\n![\"15\"](\"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/15.jpg\")
<\/p>\n