l am no Soothsayer, Seer, Angel, Prophet, ‘Man’ of God nor has ever practiced sorcery, but it seems to me the gods of the land/rivers are determined to attach their curses to, and on all Government’s inactions.
Following and flowing from the tragic helicopter crash, which claimed 8 lives (Note – l have not mentioned the Obogu 16 who perished needlessly in the Juaso enclave or the Manso Watreso 3), will JOHN JUMP THIS TIME ROUND, AND SHOULD HE?, HAS HE BEEN PUSHED?, aka, Onipa dasani te ne ho ase a, ɔmpɛ
l am told by those who have sighted the flyer of/for the event, which was to have taken place at Obuasi on that fateful Wednesday for which the late five State officials were being ferried to by a crew of three, now late, that nowhere in the flyer were the words, sentences and paragraphs below referred and or alluded to
– Declaring a state of emergency at affected and infested galamsey sites
– REPEAL of LI 2462
Fellow Ghanaians, it might interest you to learn and know that it was rather a program to “embellish” galamsey under the guise of Responsible Cooperative Mining & Skills Development Programme (rCOMSDEP), whatever that means or meant, somewhat of a replica of the erstwhile Government (NPP) Community Mining, which not only exacerbated all the ills associated with illegal mining, but cost them dearly politically, oh yes, they lost abysmally largely due to their failure to declare a state of emergency to curb the galamsey menace and or tackle the menace head-on.
Oh, what a costly price we have had to pay as a Nation by using lip service to fight a national service, sorry ooooo, to fight a national canker, aka, “Ano a, y’ɛde gye bosea no, ɛnnyɛ ɛno na y’ɛde tua”.
Bet me, if the Government meant to fight galamsey per its commitments and pronouncements in opposition and not play with words and dance around it with all its associated gimmicks, l am of the considered opinion that this unimaginable catastrophe, which all and sundry are mourning would not have occasioned in the first instance to merit appropriation of blame left and right. Indeed, we have bought and brought this to ourselves, aka, MEN ARE SOMETIMES, MASTERS OF THEIR FATE.
I have heard a lot of theories from some of your trusted appointees, notably amongst them are the late Minister for the Environment and whatever. He seems to say you are briefed every morning on the state of illegal mining and that you are strategizing to know when and how to declare a state of emergency at the affected and infested areas.
YENTE GYAE OKADA
As Ghanaians were counting their loss, 16 (Atwedie), plus 8 (Adansi Sikaman), came yet, the tragedy at Manso Watreso, coincidentally also in Ashanti region, where three persons where burnt in a motorbike collision with others sustaining various and varied degrees of burns and injuries. Axiomatically, the above scenario had everything to do with galamsey, yah, had and was spiced with galamsey flavour – ferrying petrol to galamsey site.
Ironically, not a single week, sorry, day, passes without news of incidents/accidents involving Okada, a generic accolade for illegal commercialization of the operations of motorcycles, aboboyaa, pragya and related allies.
Yet, in spite of these frightening and mind blogging statistics on Okada fatalities, the Transport Minister and his cohorts are working tirelessly around the clock to obliterate Regulations 84 & 128 of Road Traffic Regulations, 2012, LI 2180, from our statutory books on the altar of campaign promises.
The above provisions are emphatic on COMPULSORY WEARING OF PROTECTIVE CLOTHING IN RESPECT OF MOTOR CYCLES (84) & PROHIBITION OF USE OF MOTOR CYCLE OR TRICYCLE FOR COMMERCIAL PURPOSE (128).
As the Akans posit, “Akura se maka, nanso menwee yɛ”, to wit, it’s only a fool who does not change his/her mind.
The State must bury its pride, do extensive consultations with all stakeholders including the opposition NPP and explain to the citizenry why the commercialization of Okada “shall” and must be shelved, no politicization for our collective good. This is purely a matter of life and limbs, nothing more.
May we use this grieving period to call for action to end this existential threat.
Said Absolutely Nothing.
Written by Kwabena Osei Esq., Etia Street, Asante Effiduase
