Ghanaian politicians, in the face of the ongoing devastating illegal small-scale and alluvial mining, thus, galamsey, are comparable to a famished dog sitting behind a bar of soap. In such a circumstance, there is nothing that the dog can do to quench its hunger. This is the same level that the Ghanaian politicians have reduced themselves to when it comes to solving the ongoing potentially deadly galamsey activities in the country. They feel completely incapacitated.

The ruling NPP government, led by President Nana Akufo-Addo, initiated and took bold decisions to deal with the galamsey issue only to be sabotaged by the opposition NDC party, led by Mr. John Dramani Mahama.

When the president ordered the seizures and destruction of galamsey machinery found on galamsey sites, many partisan and polarized Ghanaians criticized him for their parochial interests and lack of vision.

How the NDC and Mr. John Mahama, for want of political power, undermined President Nana Akufo-Addo and the NPP government on the issue of the fight to eradicate the destructive galamsey activities is too obvious to many Ghanaians, hence pointless for me to recount them in this publication.

As President Akufo-Addo has not succeeded in reducing the impact of galamsey on Ghana's water bodies, forests, and fertile and arable lands, so shall Mr. John Mahama not be able to do anything to stop it, if not rather encourage the activities manifold to speed up the death of Mother Ghana and her children.

During the 2020 general elections, the NDC, with Mr. John Mahama, visited galamsey sites, assuring those involved in galamsey of their massive support to resource them if they voted to bring the NDC to power, hence the resultant hung parliament in Ghana today with all its attendant confusions and nonsense.

Again, Mr. Mahama has publicly announced to the nation that if he wins the 2024 election, he will release all those legally prosecuted and serving custodial sentences by exercising his presidential pardon.

If that is the position of the NDC and Mr. John Dramani Mahama, does it not confirm that under their government, should they win the election, the galamsey menace is going to get worse than we see today?

It seems it is not within the clout of the current duopoly NPP and NDC practice of politics in Ghana to successfully address the chronically hazardous illegal mining activities in Ghana but a military leadership that will stop it instantly by only one radio announcement backed by a decree.

Many sensible Ghanaians are clamouring for an end to the devastating galamsey activities that are potentially spelling doom for Ghana.

Why should we sit and watch with arms folded around the chest like fools without brains, knowing how dangerously galamsey, spearheaded by a few greedy politicians, rich and criminal Ghanaians with their supporting teams of foreign nationals, especially the Chinese, is destroying the future of Ghana for us?

Our rivers, the source of potable water, are almost all contaminated by the poisonous cyanide and mercury used to extract the gold from the earth dug. This is made worse by the direct digging for gold from the rivers’ beds.

Who cares from where a saviour will come to stop the galamsey?

The devastation cannot, and should not, keep on going under the obviously demonstrated incompetence of our democratic politicians to truncate or decapitate the menace to bring relief to Ghana and Ghanaians.

In my candid opinion, the NDC are more guilty in the fight against galamsey than the NPP, concluding from their expressed support for those actively engaged in galamsey activities.

I am sure, if anyone elected as president following the upcoming 2024 election is unable to decisively address the galamsey issue, the public may be obliged to seek the assistance of the military in a leadership capacity to solve the problem.

A nation without potable water but flowing rivers of mud is not a nation. A nation without healthy forests and fertile and arable lands stands to suffer from hunger in the long term. A nation without visionary, honest, dynamic, and dedicated leaders but overflowing with insatiably greedy, selfish, visionless, and vainglorious leaders risks collapsing, as is gradually becoming the case of Ghana, the land of my birth.

The Ministry of Lands and Mineral Resources must stop issuing further licenses for the prospecting and/or digging for gold, amid the public outcry for the stoppage of the ruinous galamsey activities uncontrollably ongoing in the country.