Rivers are more than just natural amenities and apparel that enhance the beauty of nature. Rivers are treasures that offer necessities of life and must be cherished and protected by those who are blessed with them.
Unfortunately, in Ghana, rivers are being treated with disregard, utter disrespect, and gruesome wickedness!
How?.. You may ask?.. One simple word;… Galamsey!
Roderick Haig-Brown once said “I have never seen a river that I could not love. Moving water has a fascinating vitality.” I guess Roderick needs to come see the current state of Ghana’s Rivers and his heart will sink.
Galamsey (illegal mining) has destroyed every vegetation it touches and stolen the splendor of every river it sees. O Galamsey thou art wicked. And your perpetrators are more heartless than demons and selfish beyond measure.
The galamsey menace in the country is getting worse by the day. Evidence from our river bodies suggests that the Government’s claim of fighting galamsey with all its might, may just be political lip service or they are not truly fighting the canker as hard as they want us to believe.
Some of Our rivers now look like tea. All you need is freshly baked tea-bread to enjoy a cup of tasty “galamcious” breakfast.
Day in day out, there are reports of top Government officials not only being involved, but being the major kingpins of the deadly galamsey.
The Rivers of Ghana have started crying for help. Rivers that were the givers of life, have started crying for survival. Clawing and grasping with their remaining unaffected tiny tributaries to stay flowing.
Our major rivers, especially those in the south have become so murky some of their water could pass as fruit juice. Perhaps, we will need just sugar from the Komenda sugar factory to stir into the Rivers’ water and bottle it as a new beverage.
Below is a picture of river pra in a bottle (left) next to fruit juice (right)
Below are pictures taken at Shama in the western region where river pra meets the sea. The first image was taken on 15th April 2021. Followed by a picture taken at the same location in October 2022
It is only in Ghana that our rivers can drown, unable to breathe, and cry for help! For galamsey is standing on their necks. Yes! All the major rivers are drowning!.. Drowning in the fluids of galamsey. River Pra is taking its last gasp of air, Ankobra is suffering a severe respiratory distress, and Tano is breathing through one nostril like a bad catarrh.
End galamsey now! Lest galamsey ends us all in a few years.
Gifty Manga of Odumasi in the Ashanti Akim municipality lost her life with her unborn baby on 23rd October 2022 due to galamsey. The toilet in her house caved into a galamsey pit dug under the house, while she was attending to nature’s call. Gifty, who is not a beneficiary of galamsey proceeds paid the ultimate price. The monster called galamsey has started visiting us at home from the forests.
By my estimations, there is going to be a water crisis hitting the country in 13 months. Particularly in the southern part of the country if the crazy galamsey continues at its current rate.
Let’s stand together, bold and unwavering to stop the selfish individuals behind galamsey. Be they politicians or not, royals or otherwise. If we do not fight to save ourselves now that we stand on our feet as youth, no one will be there to fight for us when we become bedridden.
Say no to destructive galamsey!
TC.Oceans
