For the past two weeks, I have been dealing with a cough and the aftermath of its remnants. Hence, I have not been functioning in full gear. During this period and about a fortnight preceding it, I had a list of topics to address. However, the happenings in the country called Ghana in the past one month have been intriguing. Someone told me to ignore my stubborn cough opining that sometimes, no amount of medication will hasten the recovery, but in its due time, it will disappear.

The word ‘auto-pilot’ is the short form of ‘automatic-pilot’, a mechanism used to control the route of a vehicle without requiring constant manual control by human operation. Hence, in effect, it presupposes acting without thinking about one’s actions due to the fact that the action has been done previously. To buttress this phenomenon, understanding how muscle memory works will aid in appreciating the concept. Basically, it is the ability to function without conscious thought due to the frequency of such actions.

The issue of the glaring devastation caused by the activities of illegal small scale and ‘community mining’ consumes the conversation. Calls for an end to this national menace have proven futile as no government has tackled it squarely. The media, touted as the fourth branch of government has the duty to scrutinize the work of the three main branches. The media has done a comprehensive job in investigating and creating awareness about the depth of illegal mining in Ghana. Particular mention to Erastus Asare Donkor (2023 GJA Journalist of the Year) for his commitment in reporting this national canker.

The rapid unresponsive posture of the government made a group known as the ‘Democracy Hub’ initiate a protest against illegal mining on 21^st September, 2024. This resulted in a tussle with the police over the location of their protest. Some scuffles ensued and a few protestors were arrested and charged with unlawful assembly which was a week one in my estimation. A total of fifty-three persons were hauled before a court of competent jurisdiction and remanded for two weeks.  A circuit court judge, Kwabena Kodua Obiri-Yeboah, in his ruling on 26^th September, 2024, Mr. Obiri-Yeboah stated that, “The position of the court is that, the court is not inclined to grant bail and the accused persons will be remanded to police custody instead of the prison custody…”. Where in the Criminal Procedure Act, 1960 (Act 30) does it state the inclination of the court or otherwise to grant bail as a reason in a ruling. Furthermore, the two weeks remand was unnecessary and a clear case of bail being used as a punishment contrary to the aforementioned Act. The judges misconducted themselves as some of the protesters did.

Shortly after the arrest and remand of the protestors, the president of Ghana attended a United Nations (UN) Summit in New York, U.S.A and scores of Ghanaians picketed outside the UN headquarters to express their misgivings about the effects of galamsey and remand of the protestors. This arbitrary ruling led to the organization of a massive three-day demonstration from the 3^rd to 5^th October, 2024. The two main reasons were to free the protestors and to call on government to urgently ban illegal mining (galamsey).

After calls from prominent citizens such as former Presidents Mahama and Kufuor, Dr. Arthur Kennedy amongst others and some civil society organisations, the protestors were granted bail ranging from GHȻ20,000 to GHȻ 70,000 with two sureties. Again, the fee is exorbitant for such a misdemeanour, the result of a good course. It is sad to see persons directly involved in this galamsey rot galivanting freely and innocent protestors bearing the brunt of the menace. Martin Kpebu, Esq. has emphatically stated that a complaint was lodged to the Inspector-General of Police with evidence from Mr. Erastus Asare-Donkor’s investigative work. However, the matter has been treated with sheer neglect and contempt. The Ghana Police Service is yet to convincingly respond.

Enter Organised Labour. Amidst the happenings in the country in respect of calls to end illegal mining, they issued an ultimatum to government to act on same or they strike. The resolute-appearing organisation decided to commence a nationwide strike on the 10^th of October, 2024 only to make a rescind their decision at a meeting in which they read to their members and media reporters present that they had called off the strike, indicating pre-meditation and leaving Ghanaians to smell a rat.

According to Prof. Ransford Gyampoh, President of University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), they did not confer with their members to agree on the cancellation before making it public. His association has however issued a statement to strike. Sam George, MP for Ningo-Prampram and prime sponsor of the Proper Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill also led a protest against the Chief Justice on 8^th October, 2024 to expedite ruling in relation to a legal tussle over some of its provisions and passage of the Bill.

On 9^th of October, 2024, news broke that a scuffle had ensued between the police and customs officials at the Missiga checkpoint in Bawku resulting in the exchange of gun shots. According to the reportage, the police officers escorting the vehicle prevented the custom officers from inspecting it. Calling for a military intervention to de-escalate the situation. This is alarming to say the least. On 11^th October, 2024, the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra held a demonstration labelled a prayer walk in protest of the galamsey menace. The Association of Fetish Priests intend to strike. To conclude for now, the country is in a ravine.

With less than two months to the general elections, the vice-president, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia is touring the length and breadth of Ghana campaigning for votes. The current president of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo cannot wait to physically and constitutionally exit office. However, at this juncture, I may say he has jumped out of the ‘Aircraft Ghana’ with a parachute leaving the air vehicle on auto-pilot mode. Oops! It seems like he took an inflatable boat rather and not a parachute, your guess is as good as mine.

Ghana shall thrive regardless!