MUST 'GALAMSEY' BE LEGALISED?

EMMANUEL ABAKA, DUNKWA
The people engaged in galamsey operations do so because of poverty. I was engaged in the practice myself sometime ago, and I can vouch that people will do everything to keep body and soul together.
A keen observation of what galamsey operators go through each day would show that it is a blessing for one to go to work and come back unscathed. In fact, I will not recommend it for anybody.
However, there is money to be made and as such people are willing to die. And as some say “all die be die”, it means they either take part in the activity and get killed somehow or they are equally dead out of hunger if they do not take part.
There are people who provide funds for galamsey operations. Unfortunately, they do not provide technical know-how or insurance cover, and that is why it is important for the Government to step in and legalise the operations to make them enjoy the benefits that accrue to the sector, while at the same time, making them responsible for their actions, particularly on the environment.
Since the activities of galamsey affect the environment, especially river bodies through dangerous chemicals used for extraction, it is paramount that the operators are given education particularly on the use of chemicals used in the extraction processes, notably on cyanide and mercury.