The Trades Union Congress (TUC) says that it would embark upon a nationwide strike with effect from 10 th
October, 2024. The announcement has plunged the sword of fear into the hearts of the government. With elections
just two months away, a strike by workers can be catastrophic.
The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has pleaded with TUC to rescind the decision. He has pleaded for
more time to deal with the concerns of the TUC. Years of dithering and failing to tackle the matter he swore his
Presidency on, has caught up with him. He has had more time, in fact, more than enough time; yet he has failed to
act.
Galamsey is going to sing around his ears like the wailing of banshees in the twilight of an unremarkable eight-year
presidency. The tragedy is that he would have avoided this sorry pass, if he had paused, even a moment, to consider
other factors apart from the interests that are pillaging Ghana’s natural resources.
It is all too clear that President Akufo-Addo is not sincere in his calls for the TUC to call off the intended strike
action. In times past, even the best and most well-intentioned voices have failed to dissuade him from continuing to
behave as if galamsey is not a crisis, even as he drives by the brown waters of the rivers of Kyebi on his way home.
President Akufo-Addo allowed the strange voices in his government that counselled him that he can do away with
the likes of sincere and capable individuals like Professor Frimpong Boateng, and still succeed. In place of
Frimpong Boateng, he preferred the likes and counsel of the Charles Bissues.
The consequence is that with just three months to go before January 7 th , 2025, he has a major strike on his hands. It
is either he finally listens, or TUC brings everything to a halt.
In my opinion, even today, with just three days to the strike action, the President can act. He can start meeting the
TUC halfway be conceding to some of their demands.
He can, for instance, bring all forms of mining, (legal or illegal) in forest reserves and around water bodies, to a halt.
One even wonders at the lunacy of those in the regulatory agencies who approved mining licenses in and around
forests and river bodies. Those people have no brains, I am sorry to state. If they have brains, then it must be made
of cardboard. Why on earth would anybody approve that mining should be conducted on rivers? And in forests? And
if they have brains, then they have a true hate for this country. Where do you go after you destroy the forest and the
rivers?
The unions are also demanding immediate evacuation of all mining equipment in forest reserves and around water
bodies and the deployment of the Police and the Military to enforce law on galamsey.
Again, the President can demonstrate his commitment by acting on this. In my opinion, all mining equipment on
rivers and in forests should be incinerated where they stand, so that the hulks can assist in the regeneration of those
rivers and water bodies. And their sponsors and owners can carry away their debts. Those who resist with arms
should be shot where they stand.
TUC is also asking that the security personnel should be given full orders to remove/destroy all mining equipment
and other earth-moving equipment around river bodies and in the forest reserves.
Once again, this is something we can do immediately. There is a police presence in every district in Ghana. The
Ghana Police Service has enough personnel, and where the manpower is short, we can beef them up. It should be
possible to meet the TUC on this front as well.
If the President, instead of meeting these demands, is still asking for time, then it becomes clear that the voices that
have brought him to this sorry pass, still hold sway over him.
He wants more time, so that his party can garner votes in the districts and regions where galamsey control the
economy. Indeed, members of his party are busy saying that the illegal mining would not end anytime soon. The
time he is asking for, his to ensure the political welfare of his party.
He should be denied this.
If that is his mission, then he should be denied the time.
We are all waiting for the strike.
(The column ‘Periscope Depth’ of Monday, 7 th October, 2024).
