If all Ghanaians were to reason as human beings endowed with cognitive brains, there would not be that level of hoo-ha as is ongoing in the country over the burning of the galamsey excavators.

However, as there are differences in people’s level of reasoning as it is with all fingers not being of equal size, there is surely bound to be bitter expressions of opinion over the setting ablaze of the excavators and other equipment belonging to the illegal surface miners (galamseyers) as are found on the mining sites.

Discerning Ghanaians not blinded by partisanship and desperate longing for power, do surely understand the importance of water, fertile and arable lands, virgin forests and clean air as the means of survivability and sustainability of human life on earth.

Therefore, such people will not only support, but also, do whatever it takes to protect them from wanton destruction, especially, when being caused by insatiably greedy and selfishly myopic individuals other than the ravages of the weather.

Why should the tools of destruction employed to render the rivers, fertile and arable lands, forests and the air desolate, poisoned and cancerous, not be destroyed through burning? Could any sensible person give me reasons to the contrary?

Yes, the excavators could be impounded by the government and used for other purposes like road construction, beneficial to the country and the citizens, an opinion vehemently expressed by those against setting fire to the excavators, amid partisanship. They may be right in their own level of thinking and eyes.

However, I, being a supporter of the destruction of the excavators through burning, will offer the following intelligent and convincing submissions.

1. There is a history of once seized galamsey excavators going missing overnight only to find their way back to galamsey sites to continue with their destructive job. Therefore, once bitten, twice shy.

2. It is only a fool that does not learn a lesson from their bitter experience but to continue to do the same thing the same way that took them into trouble. One must vary their approach to solving issues by being dynamic and innovative.

3. Every case must be decided on its own merit. It shouldn’t be the case of a “one size fits all” approach. I mean, there was previously an approach to halting the destructive illegal surface and alluvial mining (galamsey) by simply confiscating the excavators and chanfan (a type of floating mining equipment used in parts of West Africa).

Barely had the equipment been seized and removed from sites when they disappeared, only to find their way back into the forests and river banks to continue with the destruction, this time, more devastating than previously.

4. Every unique problem must have its own unique solution. The problem with the uncontrollably devastating illegal surface and alluvial mining, having the potential to kill many Ghanaians through sicknesses caused by the cyanide washed into the rivers, scarcity of fertile and arable lands for farming, scarcity of clean waters for drinking, pollution of the air, is such a unique problem that must be solved through the application of a unique solution.

The solution is to burn all the excavators found on the marked “Red Zones”, period!

5. Simply seizing the excavators only to find them stealthily released to their owners or other new users, only fuels corruption. But corruption is the bane of the economic development of Ghana and Africa. Therefore, burning the excavators does reduce corruption to some extent.

Yes, our political, public and traditional leaders are corrupt and cannot be fully trusted, that is a topic reserved for discussion at another time.

6. The cost of the destruction of the nation’s water bodies, fertile and arable lands, forests and air, to the nation and the people, does exponentially far exceed the cost of burning the excavators. While air, water, land and forest are necessities, excavators are not, if not a luxury, at this time, moment and their use.

7. One feels more pain seeing their seized properties publicly destroyed than when such properties are sold or kept for use by the government or given to others.

The pain felt at the destruction of the property will psychologically weigh heavily on whom it was seized from, to stop them from going back into the activities that acquired them the destroyed properties. However, should the seized properties be kept for use for whatever reason, and by whomever, it will give the owner some form of consolation to incite them to go back into the same destructive job.

8. Without breathing for say, ten minutes, thus not having air with the right amount of oxygen, you will die. Without drinking for say, two months, thus, for difficulty of finding potable water, you will die. Without eating for three months for want of fertile and arable lands to produce food, where you have no financial resource to import food, you will die.

Without forest to aid rainfall, arrest desertification and to act as sanctuary for animals, the nation eventually risks becoming desolate.

In this regard, is not just right to take the harshest method to successfully resolve the inherent potency to destroy the ecology as in the ongoing galamsey in Ghana?

While arguing in favour of the burning of the galamsey excavators, I call on those opposing such act to doff their stupid partisan and ignorant ideas and moves, to see sense in my submission above to finally rally behind the commenced action by the government to stop the devastating galamsey from Ghana.

Why should we stupidly front for the Chinese who are now legally allowed to produce three children by a couple to overpopulate the earth, to finally come to make Africa in general, and Ghana in particular, their permanent home by depopulating Ghanaians through their excessive destruction of our means of survival, thus, water bodies, fertile and arable lands, virgin forests and air?

I have today, Monday, 31 May 2021, given you food for thought. I hope the opposers of the government’s resolve to stop galamsey to save the nation will think hard, then change their attitude, after reading this publication coming from the no-nonsense, proud and fearless son of Kumawu/Asiampa.