By King Amoah, Our Chief Editor writes
The recent sentencing of Bernard Antwi Boasiako, widely known as Chairman Wontumi, to a 20 year jail term for his involvement in illegal mining (galamsey) has sent shockwaves through the Ghanaian political landscape.
For many, this is a landmark victory for the rule of law.
However beneath the surface of this celebration lies a deepening cynicism among the Ghanaian public regarding the selective application of justice in the fight against environmental degradation.
Politics as a Shield:
In Ghana’s democratic dispensation, the persistent concern has been the weaponization of the law.
Critics argue that political administrations often employ a protectionist strategiess to shield party cronies from the consequences of their actions while relentlessly pursues political opponents.
For years the average Ghanaian whose voice is frequently treated with contempt has observed this pattern: the foot soldiers of the desperate and low level laborers who are paraded before cameras and whisked off to prison, while the “big fish,” the architects of the destruction, continue to breathe the fresh air in the society as an innocent citizen.
The imprisonment of the Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman has ironically, highlighted this disparity rather than solving it.
While a segment of the public hails the Judiciary, the question remains: is this a genuine commitment to justice or a calculated political maneuver?
The Double Standard: The Case of the “Untouchables”
The skepticism surrounding the Wontumi verdict stems from the glaring inconsistency in how the government handles its own officials.
It is an open secret that various Municipal and District Chief Executives (MCEs/DCEs) have been implicated in galamsey activities, where in some cases even documented in the public records.
A glaring example is the Atiwa East Municipal Chief Executive, Ernest Ntim. Despite court convictions and public scandals including reported threats against the bench that convicted him, Ntim remains in office and actively participating in the very activities the government claims to be eradicating.
The failure of the state to remove or prosecute such officials at the time millions of cedis are poured into the fight against galamsey speaks volumes.
Why does the Minerals Commission and other regulatory bodies, which claim to have the mandate to police natural resources, turn blind eye to these state sanctioned environmental crimes?
The answer, many believe, is a lack of political will.
A Scapegoat for a Failed Crusade?
For many observers the Wontumi case appears to be a classic scapegoat strategy.
By sacrificing a high profile figure, the government aims to portray that the crusade against illegal mining as active and real, effectively divert public attention from the broader failures of the administration.
It provides a convenient narrative to silence critics who point out that the state’s multi million cedi investment in the anti galamsey fight has yielded nothing but destroyed water bodies and barren lands
If the government is truly committed to save our environment, why are other implicated officials still in their seats to exercise power and continuing their operations?
The Question Remains: Who is Next?
While the Judiciary’s decision is binding and must be respected, the court of public opinion remains skeptical.
If 20 years is the price for illegal mining, then the law must be blind to political party colors.
The people of Ghana are now watching with unabated breath.
Is the Wontumi verdict the beginning of a systemic purge of illegal miners, regardless of their political standing, or is it an isolated incident designed to pacify a frustrated electorate?
As MCEs and DCEs continue to engage in illegal mining with apparent impunity, the integrity of the entire crusade hangs in the balance.
Ghanaians are asking: after Wontumi who sits in the dock? Or are we simply witnessing a political theatrical performance while the nation’s natural resources are auctioned off to the highest bidder?
The fight against galamsey will never be won until the law applies as much to those in power as it does to the desperate laborer in the pit.
The nation waits to see if justice will be truly served or if the “Galamsey Paradox” will continue to consume our future.
Stay tuned.
