By: Badu, K

I do not want to be seen as a blithe doomsayer, or a gleeful grumbling geezer. But whatever the case, I will continue to squall and censure individuals over the apparent menace, because as it stands at the moment, and no serious attempts to curb the illegal activities of the recalcitrant illegal Chinese and other illegal miners in our countryside, I am afraid, we are, of course, heading towards a gargantuan environmental catastrophe.

I can hardly let go my puzzlement when some people continue to argue that it is somehow hackneyed and oxymoronic to suggest that after sixty years of independence, one would expect a nation like Ghana to be in contention with the likes of South Korea, Malaysia, and Singapore, but due to the apparent leadership paralysis, we are at where we are today.

Somehow, we are surrounded by public servants we may call leaders, but in actual fact, a sizeable number of them do not offer a true leadership.

My dearest reader let me crave your indulgence just a moment longer to pose: Which independent country on this planet (Earth) would its law enforcers sit idly while some obstreperous Chinese illegal immigrants despoil its natural resources? The answer is Ghana!

How could the mining sector regulators and other law enforcement bodies look on unconcerned and allow illegal miners to seize our countryside, and forcibly dig our gold, destroy the environment and worst of all terrorise the rural dwellers? Where is the paradigmatic leadership?

However liberal they would want to portray to the Chinese authorities and the whole world, the leadership should not and cannot allow the lunatic fringe of illegal Chinese immigrants to presume on our hospitability, because after all, they presumed to invite themselves to Ghana.

But then again, must we put all the blame on the foreign infiltrators?

No, we must not single out the foreign infiltrators for blame, because after all, they are being led in our countryside by some irresponsible Ghanaians.

Apparently, according to credible sources, some Ghanaians are acting as middlemen. They would manage to procure the mining concessions and then pass them over to the Chinese miners.

Unfortunately, however, no one seems to be policing the illegal activities of the wayward Ghanaians and the Chinese immigrants.

Clearly, the small scale mining operation is capital intensive. Thus Ghanaians who do not have the upfront capital, albeit would manage to secure the mining concessions end up passing such concessions to their Chinese minions.

Consequently, the unconcerned Chinese end up violating the laws which govern the small scale mining. So, my question again is: Why is it that the regulator (the Ghana Minerals Commission) not keeping a close eye on the illegal activities of the Chinese miners, many of whom are bent on destroying the environment?

However the lack of supervision, the Chinese and their colluders should neither take the hospitability of discerning Ghanaians as a sign of weakness nor assume that their activities are not harming our environment.

In any case, the leadership must not lose sight of the fact that Communist China will never buy such shenanigans from its own nationals, let alone immigrants.

Indeed, it is only a supposedly democratic Ghana where incompliant Chinese and other illegal immigrants can flout the laws of the land without facing any punitive actions.

As a nation, we cannot and must not stand aside and watch while foreign invaders are heedlessly seizing our countryside, digging our mineral resources forcibly, terrorising the rural dwellers and destroying their livelihoods. How bizarre?

Tell me, how long shall we continue to show blithe ignorance to the seriousness of the Chinese illegal activities in our rural areas?

Make no mistake, the Chinese menace is real, so it is incumbent on the leadership of Ghana to take a leading role in combating such menace, and cease approaching it blithesomely.

Why do we need regulators and law enforcers in Ghana if they cannot hold in high esteem the heritage won for us through the blood and toil of our Forefathers?

You lots have pledged to uphold and defend the good name of Ghana, so show it, and stop behaving as mirthful leaders.

Go on and act now, because procrastination is not the solution to a potential problem.

K. Badu, UK.