Can they eradicate illegalities and protect water and the environment?

A few years ago, the president of Ghana, Nana Akufo Addo vowed to deal with illegal miners and put an end to their unwarranted operations. Measuring his tongue, he combined the powers of the military and the police officers and urged them to arrest and trial those without any license at the law court. But what happened? The same security officers who suppose to protect national assets are illegally involved in the same environmental sins. The state apparatus and the pillars of Ghana have all failed the president's ambitious plans to halt destroyers of the land and water bodies. At least, the president depicted concerns. It's the military officers, some politicians, and chiefs who have failed the president and they must revise their conscience for forward-looking conscience.

Illegal mining, popularly dubbed “Galamsey” in the Ghanaian parlance has destroyed several acres of farmland, an uncountable number of rivers, waterbodies, and the environment. This alarming sin requires holistic measures from Ghanaian leaders to stop the appalling practices. Failure to do so could compel the youth and all concerned Ghanaians to rise one day and demand answers from the illogical leaders' reasoning. When a nation’s leaders turn a blind eye to unpalatable occurrences that dent the image of a country, God shakes Himself. Is Ghana an orphan country?

"Anyone who belongs to God listens gladly to the words of God. But you don't listen because you don't belong to God" (John 8:47). Indeed, those who love God have a good spirit and upright thinking skills to love their neighbor just as they love themselves, opines, (Mark 12:31; Matthew 22:39). Do African politicians love their citizens or only themselves? What spirits are in them that make it too difficult to see the light of the eye and the truth of the tongue? Any conscience? Do they know the importance of rivers, plants, and the Greenland environment that prolong our sustainability on Earth?

It is not okay for chiefs who should know better to be the architects of destroying our rivers. Leadership is meaningless if a leader isn't kind, compassionate, and generous to others just as those in high spirits treat themselves. We should not hide our problems. The public must know because our Ghanaian politicians have not depicted any upward thinking skills to stop the sad issue. This matter should not be treated with kid's gloves anymore. The sporadic destruction of rivers in Ghana is too perturbing and the longer it takes, the more harmful effects the country could be faced.

No one should sit on the fence. All good-thinking people need to be on board to halt the deplorable state of illegal mining because the impasse is as calamitous as cataclysmic. All concerned lovers of Ghana--the advocates, civil rights society groups, and the youth should rise and petition parliament and the president for answers.

Ghanaian electorates (voters) should NOT vote for any presidential candidate who is not visionary, politicizing "galamsey", and assuring illegal miners that if he wins power, he will allow them to do what they want. That's cheap politics without wisdom and no good thinking Ghanaians should vote on tribal or religious lines. Let your vote please the eye of God.

We must eschew our differences and end the usual cheap and antiquated blame game where some of our people are too quick to accuse Western nations of all the woes facing Africa. We cannot see the mistakes of our leaders and the delight people have for blaming Europeans and Americans every issue facing our country and the continent is why we are not able to hold our African leaders accountable. History and historicity teach us that it takes individual citizens to transform a nation and make it better. But why not our country? And why not Africa? Where are the good people who can rise to become selfless and good national leaders?

Ghana is blessed with everything, including but not limited to abundant natural resources, human resource talents, academicians, scholars, great sportsmen and women, and top musicians. Astonishingly, despite our bachelor's, master's, and Ph. D.'s, patriotism is missing from the minds of our leaders. That's why this blessed nation is still languishing and swimming in the pool of unacceptable depleted farmland and environmental degradation. What does prudent education mean if it can't be tapped or useful to assist citizens and transform lives? What is the purpose of leadership if leaders only seek the well-being of their wives, husbands, children, and concubines?

Where is conscience when most African leaders have no shame and traded God's wisdom for societal carnal knowledge, unworked-for riches, and wealth at the expense of the poor taxpayer? It is not right for politicians whom voters have entrusted Ghana in their care for development to muddy water bodies. Dejectedly, it is too bad for police and military officers who ought to arrest illegal miners for being owners or partakers of concessions.

In nations where they respect God and don't use religion to deceit, cheat, steal, embezzle, or destroy the lives of citizens, they nurture their kids with patriotic teachings. As a result, the children grow and become good leaders with a forward-thinking sense of patriotism. Astonishingly, I see the opposite in our beloved country. Do we have visionary and patriotic politicians, chiefs, apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers of the law, who could use the wisdom of God to protect the gifts of nature -- land, water, plants, etc. that God has given to our country?

Are the leaders thrilled when they see rivers and the unlimited farmlands crying in silence because of the inability of the police and military personnel to enforce the law and compel operators of illegal mining to do reclamation? Are our chiefs elated about the deplorable natural resources and nature? Are the men of God happy about how our leaders have depleted what God has created for us? What do their minds tell them when they see the colors of rivers change from their natural color to muddy and dusty yellow? Do they know we are all sitting on a time bomb that could explode to cause several incurable diseases, viruses, and ailments to kill the populace?

Perturbingly, in our country, all the pillars and the stakeholders have the same character, so they don't see the harmful effects of their selfish sins, indecisive conduct, and imprudent decisions. What are the duties and responsibilities of politicians, chiefs, citizens, and men of God if they cannot use the wisdom of God to make Ghana better for children, unborn kids, the elderly, the aged, pregnant women, and every Ghanaian?

Being a Christian is fine. I agree. Besides, going to church is good. I do agree with that. Equally, being a Muslim is good. I agree. Going to the Mosque and praying 5 times a day with foreheads down are all good. But what are the values, and importance of Christianity and Islamic religions if we can't intently, honestly, and objectively practice what we always read from the Bible and the Quran? Why can't we be the doers of the word? Why have many people become self-aggrandizing Christians and Muslims just by depicting their religious affiliations in public without protecting the heritage and the missions of the founding fathers of their religions?

It behooves every religious person to use strong thinking skills and good judgment to make informed decisions to help Ghana protect our water or rivers from pollution. No religion is important if the practitioners and worshippers can't use conscience to respect God and protect what He has created for us to enjoy. Have they lost the fact that there's no better and precious commodity on earth than water? Further, do they know water cannot be substituted for any commodity and that, it is needed for several reasons and purposes? It is a composite and inelastic demand, so we must protect the water source for our sustainability and good health. Stopping "galamsey” requires enforcing the enacted laws and taking punitive measures to nab all the perpetrators and put them before the courts to face the laws to serve as a deterrent for others to emulate.

Besides, politicians, especially the executive arm of government and the legislature (MPs) should refrain from making the country an oligarchic society and think about the poor and all the citizens. Any conscience? Next, the judiciary (bad judges and justices), the chiefs, the police, the military officers, and corrupt journalists must clothe themselves with descent thinking and remember that posterity will knock on their doors one day if they don’t stop their nefarious activities. Further, what are the responsibilities of officials of the Fivefold Ministry?

The Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, and the Teachers of the Law (Ephesians 4:11) should be the keepers of nations. Thus, it’s required of them to stop being operators of illegal mining and do everything possible to remember the eyes of the Lord. The men of God should be bold and preach against the destruction of rivers, water bodies, and the environment when they mount the pulpit.

After 67 years of self-governance, if the two glamorous political parties, the NPP (New Patriotic Party) and the NDC (National Democratic Congress) leaders are exhausted of ideas to end "galamsey" and help protect the land, rivers, and the environment, then there is a missing link. The citizens must rise and do the needful for children, women, the aged, the physically challenged, and future unborn kids. Who is ready to bell the cat? Certainly, time will tell.