Stand Up:

1. Wow. I was having a conversation yesterday about the exploitation of Chinese “galamsey" miners in Ghana at tennis practice. Anyway, my take on the issue is very simple; allowing these fools to purchase the land before mining for the Gold or Diamond must end now.

2. Having the idea that they can carry a gun in Ghana is also not right. They should either pay the police force to protect them if they have the license to mine. The money they will make will trickle down or circulate through the economy. They should be taxed heavily. The government must put forth measures that will ensure the safety of the village farmers and compensation.

3. If these exploiters see their profit margin going down, they will desist from investing in mining. We should look to their innovation and take from them their ideas. We should not kick them out yet. They should respect our laws. The politician and chiefs who take kickbacks, revealed through the media with condemnation, with hefty fine as deterrent.

4. The villages must also formed a vigilante groups who cares about their resources to report any foreign miners, not only Chinese to the proper authorities. They should not take action themselves, just to minimize bloodshed.

5. Licenses for these miners must be short-termed bases, so that the government can monitor their activities carefully. At least they should report their activities to the government every 3 month and to the local government monthly. Mining site inspected monthly to see if they are not polluting the rivers and not following the guidelines set by GMA.

6. Anyone caught with improper mining license must be dealt with severely. These rules should also apply to the local who take money from these Chinese folks and do the job for them. Land must, and must never be sold to the foreigners. They should be leased for a short periods. The village elders must inspect the land periodically in cohort with local government to see if the practices of the miner or miners deemed permissible to grant him or another contract. Findings must be sent to regional government for approval, not the chiefs. We know what the chiefs do when they see money and liquor.

7. Any party involved in making these decision caught in bribery or cutting deals must be punished severely.

8. Government should help the local government with materials, such as vehicles and testing tools to make this work. Stringent rules must be applied, so that these vehicles are not used for personal use. They are only to be used monthly and the meter checked. We all know our people.

9. Concern citizen must also report any suspicious activities they find to the regional government with no retribution. Any bribery activities between the miners, the chiefs, local government and the regional must be to the proper authorities. Reward system set up to ensure the effectiveness of this plan.

10. This issue goes way beyond mining. Let's all think about when the first exploitation of Africa started. It took the shape modernization and gradually metaphor-sized to exploitation. The same smell but this time it stinks and it's under our watch. The most educated Ghanaians in the Diaspora allowing this to happen under our watch. Let take action now in making our beloved Ghana stand out. If you have any ideas and wanted to form a real consumer advocate to ensure the safety of our children and our grandchild, come and let put our minds together.

By Kofi Acheampong

Link: http://allafrica.com/stories/201208010109.html http://www.rnw.nl/africa/article/illegal-mining-gets-chinese-rich-and-ghana-mad

Petition Drive: sign

1. Richard Acheampong 2.