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Opinions of Friday, 22 July 2016

Columnist: Badu, K

President Mahama silent in the face of national catastrophe

President John Mahama President John Mahama

Of course, to persistently write and speak against the illegal miners invasion and mass destruction of the rural areas which some people perceive as benign and convivial, is to be regarded as a fanatic, or even as a radical conservative, but we must be true to the faith - ‘uphold and defend the good name of Ghana.

In fact, this is not an attempt to hyperbolize the seriousness of the situation, far from it, for, a carefully considered reflection by any serious and committed leadership will acknowledge exactly why the illegal miners activities in our rural areas must be thwarted without delay.

As a matter of fact, the mass degradation of our rural areas by the recalcitrant illegal miners is outrageous. Nevertheless, President Mahama is somehow wholly unaware of the seriousness of the destruction, hence his inexorable refusal to circumscribe the activities of the unscrupulous illegal miners.

May I ask: Which much publicised transformational leader on this planet would sit idly and watch obstreperous illegal miners seize its country side and despoil its natural resources?

How can a supposedly transformational leader look on unperturbed and allow the contumacious illegal miners seize our rural areas, and forcibly dig our gold, destroy the environment and worst of all, terrorise the rural dwellers?

Where is President Mahama’s much touted transformational leadership then?

How on earth shall President Mahama allow such an illegality(Despoliation of our rural areas) by some criminally minded illegal miners?

How long shall President Mahama continue to show blithe ignorance to the seriousness of the illegal miners activities in our rural areas?

The illegal miners menace is real, thus, it is incumbent upon the leadership to take a leading role in curbing such illegality, and cease approaching it blithesomely.

Why do we need leadership in Ghana if it cannot ‘hold in high esteem the heritage won for us through the blood and toil of our forefathers?

Please President Mahama, you had earlier pledged to uphold and defend the good name of Ghana, so go ahead and perform your mandated duty.

Why should any serious leadership allow illegal miners to destroy the livelihoods of its rural dwellers?

This is indeed an eyesore, and must not be allowed to continue in Ghana.

It is extremely disappointing to see President Mahama who had pledged to uphold the integrity and the sovereignty of Ghana cheaply giving in to some fractious illegal miners, who are bent on mining our natural resources and in the process destroying the environment.

Why is President Mahama refusing to halt the activities of the illegal miners who are destroying our rural areas?

The overarching question one may ask here is: was President Mahama elected to protect the sovereignty of Ghana, or what?

Apparently, I would like to go with the vast majority of Ghanaians who hold the view that President Mahama is not pulling his weight. Do you blame them?

Unsurprisingly, therefore, many discerning Ghanaians think President Mahama has become lousy, hence his inability to perform his mandated duties.

For if indeed, this is not a visible trace of dereliction, what is it then?