The activities of Illegal miners is fasting crippling the future sustainability of agriculture and waterbodies in my cherished estate and place of abode. Just recently, our neighbor-Côte d'Ivoire(Ivory Coast) had to cry out to call Ghana to order. This is coming on the heels of the effect of the activities of illegal mining in Ghana which is fast extending its tentacles against the conservation of waterbodies. Several bodies had stood up to arrest the menace from becoming a monster that will crush and cripple the economic survival of Ghana. However, the momentum is not so different from the old style of resistance from the social media. Your research and findings will confirm and concur with that of mine that the masquerades behind the scene are politicians, jobless and irate Ghanaian youths, chiefs who supervises the land and business men whose minds and money making venture is principally illegal gold-mining. If statistics and data provides that the business is done only with the view to conserve our water-bodies, upcoming young ones and the future of our economic stability, may be we will all have gone to sleep and expect that it will turn our fortunes and provide an enabling environment and prosperity for the populace. That is a far-cry from the present state of trends and events. Why will our vegetation, forest, and buildings be destroyed by excavators at the expense of the general good of her citizenry and foreigners? Could you believe that over 500 excavators and machines of varying sizes were seized by government during the course of the fight to put to death this horror in our environment. Besides the distraction it is posing to the youths that ought to be in school to learn but who rather prefer to join in the quick adventure of making money ;but who in turn are being used as tools for illegal mining in their areas: the innocent eager ones are under constant disturbance as a result of the noise pollution of the machines used in illegal mining during classes.

1. Galamsey
Why is death found in my pot?
My cup cannot be used to draw
The life I needed for sustenance
I am famished, exhausted because
Of the deprivation in the land
The cry of my children wakes me up
To defend their future,
Else underground men will snuff life out from
These little innocent future leaders

2. My wife had to travel far
To get a bowl of water
Vegetation to look after her estate
I have been in constant war
Against my own people who stood behind
The grants of licenses Obtained
To put my life and the future of my children under threat
Thought I knew all who are involved
But there is more to this act than meets the eye

3. I see men who wear decent dresses
Sit in offices and government owned parastatals
Supporting this horror shattering OUR future
My cry for help is followed by an action
To comfort me not to preserve my existence,
Future and children
Oh! My labor is for the good of all
It is to keep our natural asset
Pass on the resource for the generations
Now and yet unborn

4. Tears flowed ceaselessly as I see
The attitude of careless natives,
Chiefs and respected men behind this
Who will take his life in his hand
And address the damage done to my
Estate?
O my metropolitan village
Where and when will the help come
from?

5. Strangers pay to leave my estate
And resources as a waste
Indigenes pride themselves when they
are used
As tools to cause the damage to OUR
very future existence
Hmm! Ghana, my pride and the seat
Of Africa’s glory
Your neighbors are yelling
They call for your wake into action
To stop the damage wrecked
By the greed of a few

6. Stop the men who speak loud and clear
Against it in broad daylight
But perpetrate the evil at night
Contend to arrest the sheep in wolves’
clothing
That are killing OUR future slowly
Fight to protect the future of Ghana
And her neighbors

7. What lies in our great future…….?
To see men and women alive enjoying
The bounty harvest of our farmers and the
Lovely scene of trees and good water all around
Let’s join hands to displace
Our greed for gold for a future that will
Conserve our waterbodies
No! I say, No,
To Galamsey
No to the monsters invading Our water bodies
Peter Clay
globalpeter.clay@yahoo.com