Opinions of Monday, 26 April 2021

Columnist: Samson Samari

Forum on 'galamsey' a complete waste of resources and time

Take action against appointees involved and not forums Take action against appointees involved and not forums

The forum on galamsey organized by the ministry of lands and natural resources on galamsey related activities was just a complete waste of state resources and patrons time.

What difference will the dialogue make after the same president kept his presidency on the line to fight galamsey and eventually failed and tried to defend his failure.

I attended a similar roundtable discussion on Monday, 11th February 2019 . The discussion was organized by the Institute of Economic Affairs, on the theme: "The Galamsey menace in Ghana, the way forward".

It was attended by high profile government officials of president Nana Addo's government. They spoke their usual grammar and that ended it.

The Nana Addo's government is not ready to admit their lackadaisical attitude and their complete failure towards the fight of the galamsey menace. There have been instances where secret recordings of government officials were leaked on their quest to make money for their party.

The president speech was just a direct indication of his unpreparedness to punish his appointees who are directly or indirectly involved in the galamsey activities.

Government should have used the forum to apologise to Ghanaians for its failure.

Some government officials should have been answering questions from the general public about the whereabouts of the seized excavators, the dissolution of the inter ministerial taxforce, the military protection of some alleged galamsayers , the deportation of the Chinese galamsey queen, Aisha Yuang.

Until we are ready to name, shame and jail, president Nana Addo will continue to shield his appointees. What evidence does he need again after seized excavators vanished into thin air!

Take action against appointees involved and not forums.

I remain a citizen and not a spectator.