15/09/2024
Our Forests Rivers and Galamsey
Evil we are told triumphs well when good good people remain silent.
The once vocal voices of conscience under the erstwhile Mahama regime all fell silent when over 500 confiscated excavators were allegedly distributed to the party's elite, the so-called "Party his Sika Brigade." These voices, instead of speaking out, were engrossed in distractions like National Geographic documentaries (Otabil) or sending text messages (Rev. Prof. Martey). Those who attempted to act merely went to galamsey sites to pray in tongues (Church of Pentecost), hoping for divine intervention rather than human action. Figures like Duncan Williams, Dag Heward, and a cadre of bishops remained mute as the world's most expensive environmental disaster unfolded. Their silence contributed to the devastation of our once-beautiful rivers and the destruction of pristine forests under the leadership of a president perceived as a mere figurehead.
The Asantehene and many prominent Chiefs, the supposed custodian of the lands for the future generation were also tight lipped or just paid lip service to the fight against this canker as foreign interests and their local collaborators exploited our lands and rivers with careless abandon.
Ama Ata Aidoo poignantly wrote in "The Dilemma of a Ghost," "Before a stranger will dip his hand into the thick pot of palm nut soup, an inmate of the house must have instructed him." If our government is oblivious to this calamity, how did foreigners, notably the Chinese, manage to perpetrate such destruction in our forests reserves?
This echoes the indifference of our leaders during the era of the slave trade, where blame was solely placed on European outsiders. Will history repeat itself, and in 100 years will we point fingers at the Chinese, ignoring our complicity and silence?
By: Eyram Tettevi
