March 24, 2021
Destroying Ghanaian dredges for embarking on illicit gold and diamond mines is a story that has many unanswered questions. Questions about who provided the permit to the Ghanaians to operate. Dredges are locally contrived but their bulky nature in size tells us that time had been spent in putting them together here.
Local authorities inclusive of Chiefs, even lawmakers, mines officials and even the Police must be knowledgeable about operations of these dredges. Now we know that the environmental damage these dredges are having on the rivers in pollution and killing enmass of certain fish species including the deprivation of downstream folks access to safe drinking water is the result of bribery and corruption.
The dawn raid by the Environment ministry to destroy over thirty dredges is a half measure. Is the Environmental Ministry considering litigations for the grave consequence of polluting our waters? That is question begging for answer.
What about investigating how did the Ghanaian dredges found their way into the rivers and have caused us the environmental problems of far reaching consequence. There is need for an official probe into this issue so that heads can roll and signal zero tolerance for this level of environmental compromise. Knowing the slack nature of the law enforcement and how duty bearers are prone to bribe taking, we cannot be surprised to learn that the destroyed dredges are going to repaired to resurface in other areas.
This is why the issue must be made a high risk affair. We cannot continue to compromise our biodiversity; for come to think of it pittances; and the foreign plunderers cart away the loot. It is not being xenophobic when were highlighting the Ghanaian desecration of our ecosystem to extent of polluting our rivers, depleting our fish stock and other untold damages.
Sierra Leoneans cannot go into Ghanaian territorial waters and do same. Is it because the Ghanaian system is insulated against frivolous investment that degrades the environment? Certainly… But here we are cheapening ourselves and betraying posterity.
ECOWAS trade integration norms that we subscribe to promotes fair and environmentally safe practices. Where are the environmental rights defenders from the level of civil society to take up this issue for litigation? May be somebody is listening.
I am not being alarmist to flag this issue that other media outlets have been reporting. The deeper implications about dredging are discussed in scientific literature to raise the fears to some higher height.
It is stated for instance: Dredging will affect a river’s composition, diversity and resiliency in a variety of ways. After a river is dredged, its banks will become prone to erosion. Eroded banks will stimulate further build-up of silt, exacerbating rather than improving problems with navigation. Moreover, disturbance of bank vegetation caused by erosion will remove cover and shade. This will increase light penetration and hence water temperature, which will cause fish to migrate. Besides, loss of soils will disturb the habitat of river bank fauna.
This is the reality we have allowed corruption to wrought and we are bound to live with the nightmare without any means of recompense and perpetrators let off the hook. What a pathetic situation!