€ŒMAHAMA€™S GALAMSEY STAND: BOLD ORDER OR JUST ANOTHER ECHO?€

“Mahama’s Galamsey Stand: Bold Order or Just Another Echo?”

Some time ago, I took a trip to my hometown, deep in the Eastern Region. The rivers I used to fetch water from as a child had turned brown—thick, muddy, lifeless. I stood there, just staring, not really sure what I was feeling. Anger? Sadness? Maybe both. Because even though I’d seen the galamsey videos online, nothing hits harder than seeing your childhood river choking in real life.

So when I heard that President Mahama has ordered the arrest of illegal miners and impersonators, I had that mixed reaction again. A little hope… and a lot of “hmm, let’s see.”

Don’t get me wrong. I respect the move. Illegal mining (galamsey) has been eating us from the inside out. It’s not just the environment—though that’s a big deal—but also the lawlessness, the violence, and, let’s be honest, the deep, dirty politics surrounding it. And now we’ve got people impersonating security officers just to get a slice of that illegal pie? Yeah, something’s gotta give.

But here’s where my inner skeptic kicks in. We've heard this before. Like, several times. Different governments, same strong statements. “We’ll clamp down,” “we won’t spare anyone,” “arrests will be made,” blah blah. Meanwhile, the excavators still roar at night, and the rivers keep dying quiet deaths.

In my opinion, this order from Mahama could be a turning point—if it’s not just talk. If it’s not just a political chess move to win hearts and headlines. Because truth be told, many of us are tired of the recycled promises. We're tired of watching videos of soldiers “seizing” galamsey machines only for them to mysteriously reappear later.

Honestly, I wasn’t sure if this was going to be different. Still not sure. But there’s something about a former president stepping up and calling for actual arrests—not just committees or press conferences—that feels a little more serious.

And maybe I’m dreaming here, but what if—for once—the arrests actually happened? Not just the small fish, but the big sharks. The ones in suits, the ones with connections. The ones who, for years, have gotten away with selling out our land for a quick buck.

I know, it sounds far-fetched. But so did mobile money at one point, and now here we are, paying for waakye with our phones.

So here’s the big question I’m still chewing on:

Can we ever win the fight against galamsey if we’re only willing to arrest the miners, but not the masterminds behind them?

Because if we’re not ready to go all the way, maybe we’re not ready at all.