The state of galamsey is not simply a failure of law enforcement; it is a failure of moral leadership. Our priorities as a people have become distorted, and our values misplaced.
We place more value on being politically correct than on addressing the root causes of injustice that plague our land. We are more concerned with the behavior of those who cry out for change than with the destructive actions of those whose greed threatens our very existence.
While some are busy critiquing the manner of protest, a crisis looms over us, threatening not only our land but our survival itself. Our rivers, the lifeblood of our communities, are being poisoned. Our lands are being ravaged, and the very ecosystems that sustain us are being wiped out.
Yet, where is the outrage? Where are the urgent discussions about why those in authority seem powerless, or perhaps even unwilling, to act against this clear and present danger?
Why is it that when ordinary citizens rise to demand justice for the environment, we scrutinize whether they obey traffic lights, but remain silent on why our leaders cannot stop the pollution of our waters?
Now, let me be clear, my friends—rules are important, and order is necessary for a functioning society. However, when our focus shifts to scrutinizing the form of protest rather than understanding the cause behind it, we have missed the mark.
How can we seek environmental justice if we are more concerned about the technicalities of protest than about the very issues that led people to the streets in the first place?
They will want you to believe that the protestors blocked access to healthcare, that they taunted the police, that they are, in fact, the very devil incarnate.
This is nothing but a psychological ploy, crafted in their offices and spread through their channels. It is designed to shift the focus from the real issues, to cast blame on those brave enough to speak up for justice.
But I say to you, do not fall for it. Their narrative must fail. Their attempts to vilify the protestors are nothing more than a desperate effort to distract from their own inaction, their own failures. Stand firm in the truth, for justice and righteousness must prevail over fear and deception.
How can we end galamsey when we are more offended by the isolated, benign actions of a few protestors than by the overwhelming reality that it appears invincible to law enforcement? When our focus is drawn to minor disruptions rather than the rampant destruction of our land and water, we lose sight of the true crisis.
If we are more concerned with decorum than with the fact that our rivers are being poisoned and our future is being sold off to greed, how can we ever hope to fight this menace?
Our outrage must be directed where it truly belongs—at the lawlessness that continues to ravage our nation, not at the few brave souls who are willing to speak out against it. Only when we refocus our priorities and hold accountable those who allow this destruction can we hope to end galamsey once and for all.
The purpose of the remand is clear—to dissuade us from further protests, to instill fear within us. For if they can imprison a few brave souls, it serves as a warning to all who dare to speak out.
But I say unto you, let the remand fail in its true purpose. Let us keep this matter alive, refusing to be silenced. Let us expose and shame the judges who allowed this unjust remand, and let us bring ridicule upon the Ministry of Justice for standing in opposition to what is right.
We must not allow fear to take root in our hearts, nor must we be intimidated by the tactics of those who seek to protect injustice. Instead, let our voices rise all the louder, our resolve grow all the stronger, until justice is not merely a hope but a reality.
Let us not be deceived. The destruction that we talk about here is apolitical. Galamsey does not bring sickness based on party colors. This is not a political matter, and we must not let where we stand be determined by our party affiliation.
This is a national crisis that affects us all. It is a moral issue that transcends political boundaries. We need unity to fight this menace, for if we fail to act together, the destruction of our land will be the destruction of us all. Let us rise as one people, for the sake of our children, for the sake of our future.
#SALL is the cardinal sin of the 8th Parliament.
SGD
GOGO
Da Yie!
(The author is Prof. Stephen Kwaku Asare is a US-based Ghanaian lawyer and scholar, Prof. popularly known as Kwaku Azar)
