Gold Coast – that was the name the European Colonisers, from Portuguese Don Diego d’Azambuja and Italian Christopher Columbus (Cristoforo Colombo) through the Danes, the Dutch, the British gave us. It was a prefect name, but Professor Adu Boahen would challenge anyone who says Don Diego d’ Azambuja “discovered” this country because when he landed in Da-mina Elmina in 1482, chief Caminah Anssah (Kwamina Ansah) was there. They traded in gold which was in abundance, with gold nuggets picked from rivers and the ground especially when it rained or by “panning”. before slaves
You are right to ask why the name Gold Coast was changed to Ghana at independence – to break from the colonial past? Or for Pan Africanism? No need to worry about whether J. B. Danquah suggested the name Ghana or it was “Dr”. Kwame Nkrumah’s own imagination. Don’t rack your brain like Kwesi Pratt and blurt out. “We know the name did not come from J. B. Danquah’’. The name change was, to some of us, not necessary at all; Cote D’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) has maintained its “colonial’ name.
We could have used the Twi version of Gold Coast “Sikaman” “Sika Mpoano” (or a Ga or Ewe or Nzema or Dagomba version. What is our relationship with Ancient Ghana or Ouagadougou (Wagadugu), located around present day Mali and Senegal led by King Magan Dyabe Cisse or the King of gold, Kaya Maghan; or what similarities have our languages to Soninke, Malinke Or Mande? Or the rise (AD 950) and fall (AD 1050) to the Almoravids?
We heard someone cursing nature (NOT: God) for the abundance of wealth bestowed on us (gold, diamond, bauxite, oil, copper, limestone, lithium).
The 1848 discovery of gold in California by James Marshall “Gold Rush” comes to mind. It led to the influx of Americans, Latin Americans, Australians Chinese, Europeans who arrived in California (the forty niners -(49) and this led to the annihilation of native Californian who became victims of starvation and disease, as gravel, silt and toxic chemicals killed fish and destroyed habitats.
Heard about the “zama – zama’’ of the Witwatersrand of Gauteng province of South Africa – the constant feuding between rivals, the attack on the police and other security personnel, although the artisanal mining produces 30% of the South African gold, amounting to some $8 million per annum?
Currently, there are so many horrible scenes shown on our TV: a 62-year-old farmer at Kunsu declares: ”I have been in cocoa farming for 20 years and I have nothing to show for it; after selling a portion of my land to galamseyers, I have had enough money to build a two bedroom house: the land is my own”.
What meaning will such a person give to the Minerals Act 2006 (Act 703) or the 1992 Constitution which in Article 257 (6) says: “Every mineral in its natural state in, under or upon any land in Ghana, rivers, streams, water courses throughout Ghana, the exclusive economic zone and any area covered by the territorial sea or continental shelf is the property of the Republic of Ghana and shall be vested in the President on behalf of, and in trust for, the people of Ghana”?
Our hearts missed a beat seeing how galamsey has destroyed 3km of the 60km active rail line stretching from Takoradi through Akyem to Nsuta. The Ghana Railway Company’s manganese haulage has ceased, because the lines do not sit on solid ground, but rather hang over pits dug by the galamseyers. The officials estimate that repairing the damaged stretch would cost at least $18m; And how much was picked here by these selfish galamseyers?
And it is only intellectuals who discuss these issues on TV and radio; the galamseyers are cut off, or else are not bothered. Water turned brownish by a mixture of mud and chemicals; in artisanal mining gold is extracted from alluvial deposits in waterways; the gold bearing ore is crushed and ground; gold is extracted from the concentrate by adding water mixed with mercury which, unfortunately, is consumed by living organisms, including fish, for human consumption. Humans exposed to mercury are prone to kidney problems, arthritis, memory loss, miscarriages (women), respiratory failure, and neurological damage and deaths.
Dr. Paul Osei Sampene, pathologist at KNUST sounds alarming; “Mercury, lead, cyanide seep into rivers and soil contaminating drinking water and food supplies (including kontomire). Mercury is particularly dangerous because it can pass from a pregnant mother to her unborn child, affecting brain development and causing severe birth defects. Hospitals in Tarkwa, Prestea, Wassa Akropong, Obuasi, Manso – Nkwanta, Tontokrom (the hotspots for illegal mining) have reported increases in babies born with missing limbs, hydrocephalus (brain swelling) cleft palates.
Ghana owes a debt of gratitude to Erastus Asare Donkor for all the revelations on galamsey but we get haunted by his observation “but the larger picture doesn’t look good”.
The Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) could have raked in $2.7 billon. But how does this compare with the damage caused? Sammy Gyamfi should examine his conscience and say something to convince us, rather than “Goldbod has no competitors”. When the full history of galamsey or illegal mining, is told the name Akufo-Addo, as President, cannot escape being mentioned. It was he who promised to put his presidency on the line for eliminating galamsey but what happened next? Akufo-Addo’s regime introduced L. I. 2462 which permits the President to give someone a permit to enter the forest reserves; and it was he who “cleared” Akonta Mining of illegal mining while Akonta Mining was being examined by the OSP.
In 2018, Honorable Joe Osei Owusu, First Deputy Speaker and MP for Bekwai said this about this life-threatening activity: “Mr. Speaker, the mining activities on water bodies are affecting our crops… extreme behaviour must be met with extreme response… We are dealing with people who are determined to make their money at every cost notwithstanding the damage they do to the environment.
At Aduama, I met an old lady who complained that they (galamseyers) had expanded the river and I cannot go to my farm… if I had authority, I would make a law… If you find people on water bodies, shoot them. Human Rights Lawyers, like Martin Kpebu would jump at this and refer us to Articles 12 – 33 of the 1992 Constitution: “Fundamental Human Rights and Freedoms”.
The anger in us has reached boiling point: why do we treat the financiers and the Chinese galamseyers with soft gloves? Apart from galamsey, what are Chamfans used for? We owe a duty to our children and our offspring to protect Ghana, don’t we? Hasn’t Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene given us a lead – destooling chiefs involved in galamsey?
Prof. Stephen Kwaku Asare (aka Kwaku Azar) is upbeat: arrests and prosecutions target small scale miners while financiers receive elite treatment. We cannot fight galamsey using the Queensberry rules. Galamsey financiers have declared war on our rivers, our soil, and our people. They have sown the wind and must reap the whirlwind. We must meet them boot for boot” Citing the success in Peru’s Operation Mercury (cutting deforestation by 90%), he recommends same for Ghana among a 10 point recommendation.
Parliament must enact’ Ecocide Law’; strengthen the anti-Money Laundering Act (Act 1044, 2020); introduce Unexplained Wealth Order (UWO) to allow assets forfeitures for those who can’t explain their sudden wealth with powers to seize properties tied to illegal mining; criminalise mercury trafficking; ban the manufacture of Chamfans; create Ecocide courts; enforce strict bail terms: automatic assets forfeiture fast-track financial investigations; name, shame and debar (financiers from government contracts, corporate boards), re-direct the youth (psychological adjustment of thinking that the more people die, the more gold galamseyers can claim); ban financiers from politics, impose long custodial sentences for arrested galamseyers and financiers.
Readers of the Catholic Standard (October 12- October 18, 2025) will note the editorial “Jubilee House Must Act; The Time For Fine Words is Over: We, the Catholic Standard speak for every child who cannot drink clean water; farmer whose soil is contaminated. citizen whose heritage is stolen by greed. Galamsey is not just a crime against the environment, it is a crime against the poor, against justice and against God’s creation. Promises have been made.
Task forces set up, Speeches delivered. But these are but words unless matched by action. Government: publish the full list of financiers. Freeze suspicious assets; the church and faith leaders: raise your voices pray; yes but also insist on justice. The people: Do not be silenced. Let there be light in the shadows. Let the kingpins be exposed. It is time for our rivers. For our land. For our souls”.
President Mahama should listen to the CSO’s, the TUC, religious leaders, Ken Ashigbey, Vormawor rise. What legacy is President Mahama, leaving this country? Will the 8 heroes including Dr. Omane Boamah, Dr. Samuel Sarpong, Dr. Murtala Mohammed have died in vain? State of Emergency? Yes. Let the rains fall. Let the water flow from the rivers, clean, colourless and healthy.
