Art Expressions

The oceans are vast and cater for the many thirsty souls on earth,

The largest reservoir for carbon dioxide exchanged with the atmosphere,

Amazing flora and fauna from the pelagic to the benthic zones live in the oceans,

Their waves which begin as ripples break on our shores,

Shaping them into geomorphological features such as beaches and cliffs,

These beautiful oceans also play a part in our climate and weather patterns!

 What a delight it is to the eye, to see the glittering effect of the rays of sunshine on the surface of the oceans!

Indeed, humanity is yet to discover the oceans to the fullest!

Come to think of it, is it ever going to be possible?

 We have turned the oceans into dumping sites for our waste and places of convenience!

They are also overexploited "cash cows" and on and on goes the list!

Such a pity, that the oceans which are meant for eternity are being destroyed by humanity!

So unfortunate that our future generations may miss out on the beauty and usefulness of the oceans in their natural state,

We have neglected them and only use them selfishly for our own good!

We have shamelessly turned a blind eye to the oceans and all the biodiversity that are dependent on them!

The oceans continually cry out, but we have shut the cry out with fake ‘earplugs’!

 Well, there may be some few who are doing their very best to help save our oceans!

It is now time for everyone to get on board! 

No more time to waste!

We need to reach out and attend to the cries of our oceans!

 The time is now! Yes, now!

We need to put in more effort to sustain them!

Yes, we need to use the oceans but why not wisely?

We do not have to abuse them as we use them!

Imagine the world without the oceans....

Get it? That’s the reason we cannot rest on our laurels, 

But make more effort to keep our oceans thriving!

You and I must make significant changes to our attitudes!

It will take the actions of you and I to appreciate our oceans,

Be grateful for them!

Create awareness about their value!

Designate protected areas to protect their biodiversity!

Place restrictions, enforce laws, monitor our activities and,

Develop innovations which will restore them....our oceans to their former glory!

 This cannot wait,

The time is now!

And it starts with you and I, 

 Thanks to the World Oceans Day

We can gain new perspectives to rekindle our love for the oceans,

And strategize for solutions to protect our beautiful oceans,

Together we can!

It’s a pity! Why sell a productive cocoa land for galamsey operators to exploit for quick money? It is becoming rampant these days for cocoa farmers to sell their lands which are gold laden for galamsey operations.

My personal opinion on this is that these cocoa farmers are selling their birthrights. These lands have been handed down to these farmers so that the tradition of producing quality cocoa doesn’t cease. Recently I read on an alphabetical flashcard made by the Kokrobitey institute that 70% of the world’s cocoa comes from West African farms. Isn’t this information enough to make these farmers want to preserve their cocoa lands to produce more cocoa for export? Yes, it is true that they may not be earning enough premium from their cocoa, hence they see the selling of their lands to the galamsey operators as an alternative to earn more.

Moreover, the activities of these galamsey operators have grave repercussions which are as follows;

-> Their activities result in the decimation and pollution of our water bodies such as rivers, lakes, streams etc. which have negative impacts on the health of inhabitants located in these communities who cannot use the water from these water bodies to cook, drink or bath. Some who can, resort to buying sachet water as an alternative source of clean water which is devoid of these poisonous chemicals.

->They are exposed to several health hazards. Sometimes they get trapped in the excavated pits and are at risk of getting poisoned by mercury which is the chemical used to extract the gold. Out of curiosity, children in these communities fall into these pits and are at risk of losing their lives.

->These cocoa lands get degraded and may not be arable for the cultivation of cocoa because of high concentration of cyanide and mercury in the soil.

-> Consequently, there will be low productivity of quality cocoa  which will influence the decision of cocoa buyers not to purchase from these cocoa farming communities which means lower income for the farmers.

 What can be done to halt this menace?

->Prosecution of galamsey operators and farmers who sell their  lands to them. Legal instruments on galamsey in Ghana need to be strengthened. There has to be a strong government position on this matter. 

-> Military forces should be deployed in these areas to arrest offenders and make them face the law. The fight against this menace is not meant to be a violent one, but measures have to be taken to bring these activities to a standstill.

-> Inter-sectorial collaboration among stakeholders such as the minerals commission, COCOBOD, Cocoa farming cooperatives, Ministry of Employment and Social welfare, Ministry of Agriculture,traditional leaders etc. to develop strategies to deal with it once and for all.

-> Educating cocoa farmers on how they can preserve their lands and develop their capacity so that they can diversify their farming activities.

-> District chief executives together with traditional leaders should embark on massive job creation campaigns which will serve as an avenue for the youth to become gainfully employed to secure a bright future and discourage this practice.

-> Application of technology by launching drones in the air to track and monitor the activities of these galamsey operators which will provide relevant information and bring offenders to book.

For some time now, I have been asking myself why there has been no ban on the use of plastic bags in my beloved country, Ghana. Plastic bags are becoming a nuisance in our environment. They are ubiquitous because they are non-biodegradable. Recycling them has not been considered much as an option in dealing with the prevalence of plastic bags in our surroundings. Probably, our only option is to ban the use of plastic bags.  I would advocate for a bill to be passed in parliament to ban the use of plastic bags cos they contribute enormously to the filth that is seen around. One of the ways in which we should consider becoming green is using well – made paper bags or cloth shopping bags while visiting the supermarket or open air markets.

Economically, this can affect businesses of those who sell plastic bags. They will be out of business, but this will go a long way in ensuring that the waste created from the disposal of plastic bags is reduced or eradicated completely.

The example of Rwanda’s complete ban on plastic bag use is laudable. I was informed that there are “no plastic” signs at the arrival hall at the airport which make people more environmentally conscious as they enter this beautiful country for the first time. This is a step in the right direction as far as environmental sustainability is concerned.