Former President John Agyekum Kufour says the devastating impact of illegal mining popularly known as ‘galamsey’ in various parts of the country in recent times could be tackled by the government if indigenous people in their respective communities were made to have a fair share of mineral royalties.
Speaking in an interview with Rt. Hon. Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye as part of a series of dialogues in reviewing Ghana’s 1992 Constitution by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), recently, he said that illegal mining continued to thrive due to inadequate policies aimed at making individuals directly benefit from mining.
He said “Geology has proven that every bit of our land is gold that is why galamsey is everywhere now but, what is our policy in tackling this galamsey thing. Supposing in my village there is a stream which is found to be gold plaited, a youngster who is well-educated and unemployed would never get a licence to go into small-scale mining. I tell you they don’t stand a chance but a big shot will show up and have a concession in the village and influence the chiefs, use the boys as they dirty themselves and the streams.”
The former President said that in order to avert the trend especially, where foreigners particularly the Chinese were given the opportunity to mine while indigenous people were molested and criminalized, communities should be given a fair share of the mineral resources.
“What are we doing as a country to think of a policy that will make all Ghanaians everywhere feel they are stakeholders? As it is now, they don’t get a share, if we do it well the business people will get their fair share, the local people will get their fair share, as well as the state, will get its share strangely, we send soldiers, guards they go and molest the locals. Everywhere we find Chinese and we haven’t had a report from them on how they got the gold,” the former President added.
In his reflections on both intraparty and interparty politics in the current democratic era, which he said was characterized by ‘monocracy’, he said the phenomenon was not new in the body politic of the nation given the need for individuals to benefit directly from politicians during the campaign.
He mentioned that there has, however, been overindulgence in the use of money in politics citing factors such as population explosion, rural-urban drift and a major factor to be able to capture political power.
He stated “If you want to go to Parliament, you need tonnes of money to influence people because everybody thinks you are going in there to further your lots, so if that’s the case, why don’t I get my share before you get there. When you get there and I want to come and see you, do I get access? So, they will hold you tight and since ambition is driving you, you will also go all the length to get money. When you pay so much to get into parliament you also need to find ways and means to recoup.”