The Mining Industry: When We Plunder What Was Meant to Sustain Us.

The extractive industry digs deep into the earth for wealth, but often leaves scars behind. Due to an ill-considered exploitation of nature, humanity runs the risk of destroying it and becoming in turn a victim of this degradation. _Laudato Si’_

INTRODUCTION

God, in his wisdom created all that we see, even those things we do not see. He created them to be enjoyed by man and so share in God’s happiness. (Ref. the Credo; Genl) Even though, God commanded man to have dominion over all He had created, the command was not, so to speak, absolute.

Man is supposed to be the steward, the caretaker of all that God has created. He calls on us to be more responsible to the earth as stewards not as owners. We have no license to do whatever we want.

After all, we are linked to the rest of God’s creation such as plants, animals, air, soil, etc. In fact, we rely on God’s creation for our survival.

We cannot survive without them but they can survive without us. Therefore, we should respect, preserve and admire the other members of the earth family.

ABUSE OF THE ENVIRONMENT

It appears that man misunderstood the stewardship God commanded us to put in place as owners and exploiters of the environment.

In several ways, man has exploited and destroyed God’s creation with impunity. The following are means by which man has abused the command given by God.

1. Unhygienic practices in our homes.

2. Air Pollution

3. Water Pollution
4. Exploitation of animal species

5.Bush Fires

6.Mineral Exploitation

7. Farming activities

Of all these exploitative behaviors, our focus in today’s discussion will be centred on the mining industry with special emphasis on illegal mining popularly referred to as ‘galamsey’

MINING IN GHANA

Mining of minerals have been going on for thousands of years in the world.

Several texts in the Bible, attest to the use of gold, silver and other precious minerals (Exodus 32: 2-3; Daniel 3:1; Matthew 2:11)

Mining of minerals, such as gold was in existence before the Europeans came to our land. This explains why the Europeans named the country GOLD COAST.

Other minerals mined in Ghana include Silver, Iron ore, bauxite, manganese and recently, Lithium.

It is unfortunate that mining today has become a menace that we need to fight against:

Small scale mining has been going on since the colonial era, alongside big mining companies. Small scale miners used to employ hand tools such as pick-axes, shovels, etc.

The Mineral and Mining Act, 2006, Act 703 recognizes two types of mining in Ghana. These are Large Scale and Small-Scale mining. Large scale mining may involve the use of heavy machinery while that of small does not require such machines.

According to paragraph 83 of the Act, “Small Scale licenses

may be given to a person who:

Is a citizen of Ghana

Has attained the age of eighteen

Has been registered by the office of the Mineral

Commission in the area.

There is also what has become known as ‘Community Mining’.

This is where a group of people within a mining community are brought together, registered and given a concession. Aside these recognized kinds of mining are what is referred to as ‘galamsey’.

Technically, this is a kind of illegal activity as far as mining in Ghana is concerned.

The term however comes from a traditional small scale mining practices in Ghana, where local communities would gather and search for gold in rivers and streams. It means ‘gather them and sell’.

It must be added that such form of practice did not require any form of heavy machinery.

It is sad to say that the law which was meant to regulate the mining industry to enable Ghanaians benefit from the rich mineral resources the nation is endowed with has been abused to an extent that the mining industry is almost becoming the number killer in the nation.

There are people who were given prospecting licenses but went into the areas and started removing the earth cover to mine straight away thereby destroying the forest cover.

Others went to mine in the river bodies and caused a lot of damage to both aquatic life and human beings.

SOME NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF MINING IN GHANA

The following are some of the damaging effects of illegal mining in Ghana as a result of using big machines in ‘small scale and illegal mining. These negative effects are on:

1. Plant vegetation: The use of heavy machinery has

brought about the destruction of vast areas of land. This has exposed a lot of farm lands to erosion.

Thus, many fertile lands have become unproductive. After mining in these areas, the miners leave their pits uncovered thus creating death traps in the affected areas.

Meanwhile the chemicals they introduce into their mining practices sips into the soil and affect other farm produces making them unsafe for human consumption.

2. Water bodies and the sea: Mining on water bodies has

brought about water pollution. Many rivers that our forefathers drank and used for other household purposes have now become heavily polluted so much so that they are no longer fit for purpose.

Do not forget that these same water bodies run into the sea hence they also pollute the sea.

We are being told that if the level of destruction on our water bodies is not checked, we may end up importing safe drinking water.

Think about what will become of many people in Ghana if we reach a state of buying water from other nations due to the abuse of our water bodies.

3. Aquatic life: The other sad news is that aquatic life has been destroyed as a result of the dangerous chemicals that are used in mining.

In short, the chemicals used inextracting these minerals have killed most if not all the fish in the affected river bodies. Some even go the extent of diverting the river course to gain access to the river bed to undertake their notorious activities.

4. Farming activities: In addition to the damaging effects

on our forest covers, illegal mining has also affected farming activities in the mining communities.

In search of the precious metal, unscrupulous miners have destroyed some large areas of land where food crops were growing.

These destructions go on with or without the approval of the farmers concerned. In view of that, farming in such places have become less lucrative.

The complaint of farmers in the affected areas is that: ‘Why should we farm only for illegal miners to destroy them overnight? Those who go into farming in spite of all odds would have to carry water from home to their farms in case they want to spray or water their farms.

This also makes farming in the mining areas very cumbersome.

5. Air pollution: The smoke emanating from the

machines used in the mining activities coupled with the dust from this dangerous mining practices have caused a lot of air pollution in the affected areas.

This unsafe air has also brought in its wake several air-borne diseases affecting several individuals living within the mining enclaves.

6. Health of those mining and those in the environment: There has been reports of several diseases affecting people living in the mining communities.

This is aresult of the polluted water they drink, contaminated food stuffs they eat and the polluted air they breathe. In some places, foetuses are malformed leading to the birth of deformed babies.

There are complaints of kidney, lungs and liver problems among people living in these mining enclaves. These problems affect those who are directly involved in this illegal business as well as those who are not. Cases of rashes are also prevalent in such areas.

As a results of uncovered dug-outs, mosquitoes breed very fast hence Malaria cases are common in the areas in focus. We also stand the risk of increase in waterborne diseases such as typhoid, cholera and diarrhea in the communities under discussion.

7. Education: It is a common knowledge that in mining

communities, there are many school drop outs. Many school going children sacrifice their education on the altar of Galamsey.

Some school-going children, especially the academically weaker ones find solace in illegal mining instead of the classroom. There are also instances where brilliant but needy students abandoned school in search of money for survival.

The initial claim of these brilliant people is that I am going to look for money to continue my education. However, once tasted, they resolve to drink deep hence their educational exploit is curtailed.

8. Prostitution and single parenthood: It goes without

saying that prostitution and single parenting are very common in mining communities. Many ladies are attracted to the money made by these miners such that they easily fallprey to their immoral advances.

It must also be added that several women from other places usually move to mining communities to engage in their business as commercial sex workers just as men move into mining communities as miners.

As they engage in prostitution, some of them become pregnant and they end up becoming single parents if they manage to carry the pregnancy. Others may even attempt to terminate the pregnancy and may lead to their death.

9. Other businesses: Another business that easily thrives

in mining areas is drug abuse. These areas are prone to the abuse of all kinds of substances including weed and cocaine. This comes with their friends like stealing, fighting, rape and at times murder.

SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS-MINERAL EXPLOITATION:

The fight against illegal mining appears to have been lost especially with everybody pointing accusing fingers at one another. Many people including politicians, chiefs, and pastors are being accused of involving in this dangerous illegal act.

The journalists, police and military personnel have been brought on board in this fight but to no avail. There have been concerns from some people to adopt ‘a shoot and kill approach’ as a means to putting a stop to illegal mining.

Others have suggested the need to declare a ‘National Emergency on it. In order not to throw our hands into the air to conceit defeat, the following methods could be tried as a means to controlling this trade.

Raising the environmental consciousness of all people through intensive and planned environmental education programmes.

D) Newspaper publication, especially Catholic Standard on the negative effects of illegal mining.

E) Grow Plants: They absorb carbon dioxide from the air.

F) Adopt a tree-growing attitude, not just tree planting.

G) Get involved. Participate in actions that focus on environmental protection especially the fight against galamsey.

H) There is the need to find an alternative livelihood income source for illegal miners. The question is: what can be used to replace gold? Simply put, since the earnings the miners make appear to be so huge, it is difficult to introduce them to a source of income that would be either higher or equal to their present income.

I) There is the need to enforce the laws on illegal mining strictly to make it less attractive.

J) Since several efforts at using might to fight illegal mining seem to have failed, our last option that can be introduced could be appeal to the conscience of the people who are into mining.

CONCLUSION:

Despite all the economic benefits, revenue, employment and infrastructural development that Ghana derives from the mining industry, the liabilities of mining operations cannot be overlooked. Ghana can no longer boast of clean running rivers.

All our rivers and streams are contaminated and polluted heavily by surface mining referred to as “galamsey”.

Our forests are turning into savannahs and the savannahs into deserts. More people are getting sick and threatened; mining and its attendant activities have brought about water, air and noise pollution. All hands must be put on deck to ensure that illegal mining is stopped.

Story by Dominic Duut