The invasion of parts of the concession of AngloGold Ashanti at Obuasi by illegal gold miners is most unfortunate. Indeed, it is astonishing that such an occurrence, can actually take place in Ghana.
Why is there such a sudden upsurge of acts of impunity across our country now? What hope is there for ordinary private landowners when lawless and violent individuals can get away with such brazen trespassing and unlawful damage to private property in our country?
Surely, as a nation, if we value the contribution that the private-sector makes to Ghana's socio-economic development, we must never condone such free-enterprise-abominations?
What is occuring at AngloGold Ashanti's Obuasi concession, is an illegality that no one in present-day Ghana should accept. We must not allow illegal gold miners to continue defying the laws of our nation with such impunity.
As patriotic citizens, since this is an election year, perhaps the time has now come for all men and women of goodwill in our country, to find a way to compel our ruling elites to turn our democracy into a haven of peace and tranquility for the law-abiding, and a hell on earth for lawless individuals and groups, in Ghanaian society.
It is important that those who administer our country understand clearly that the protection of property is a fundamental human right that ought to be guaranteed by the state in our democracy - in which the rule of law is said to prevail.
That is why it is vital that the government ensures that all the illegal gold miners are removed from that Obuasi concession as soon as practicable. The situation there is totally unacceptable.
After all, this is a nation of laws - and Ghanaians are a civilised people, are we not?
The continued occupation of part of AngoGold Ashanti's Obuasi concession by illegal gold miners does Ghana's well-deserved global reputation as a safe investment destination absolutely no good at all.
It is very damaging to our country's image abroad - and ought to be brought to an end swiftly by the authorities.
The more responsible sections of the Ghanaian media - particularly the electronic media - should play an active role in encouraging the youth in Adansiman to be patient and law-abiding in this matter.
The advantages of setting up legitimate small-scale mining companies of their own should be pointed out to them - as it will enable them to apply for permits to mine gold lawfully in that area when AngloGold Ashanti finally completes the process of handing over part of the concession back to the government.
Indeed, they can be trained to mine gold more responsibly and sustainably by AngloGold Ashanti, as a CSR initiative - but they must first be forced by the authorities to end their unlawful occupation of the company's concession.
It is only when they leave AngloGold Ashanti's Obuasi concession that their mining operations can be regularised.
Perhaps the time has also come for those presently in charge of AngloGold Ashanti to do some lateral thinking for a change.
Could this existential crisis not be an opportunity to adopt a new low-cost business model - in which individual contractors, instead of paid employees, mine gold for the company on mutually agreed terms?
Incidentally, last week, on my way to Anyinam, to report the invasion of part of my family's 14-square mile upland evergreen rainforest freehold property at Akyem Juaso, by illegal gold miners, to the Anyinam District Police Command, a detachment of soldiers in a military truck ahead of us on the Accra-Kumasi highway, branched off into Kibi Goldfields' yard.
I was later informed, when I mentioned it to a gentleman I am acquainted with, from Saamang, that on a day to day basis, there is a permanent military detachment apparently guarding the company's Akyem Abuakwa concession.
The question is: If, today, soldiers protect Kibi Goldfields' Akyem Abuakwa concession, why should AngloGold Ashanti's Obuasi concession not be protected from illegal gold miners, by the military, too?
Naturally, the eviction of the illegal miners from the Obuasi concession of AngloGold Ashanti, ought to be carried out with minimum force - and the fundamental human rights of all the illegal gold miners must be respected by the security agencies.
Although it is unpalatable to some of us that Ghanaian soldiers should be used to protect properties of private companies, during peacetime, unusual situations call for unusual solutions.
Private property should be sacrosant in any democracy that is a free society - and if the rights of property owners in Ghana, have to be upheld and enforced by the security agencies, then so be it.
It is also a fact that the unfortunate situation at Obuasi today, could have been averted, if the Kufuor regime had put the national interest ahead of self-serving crony-capitalism, during the battle for the takeover of Ashanti Goldfields.
That was the reason why some of us criticised the government of President Kufuor, at that time, for rejecting the bid by Randgold Resources for Ashanti Goldfields - which would have allowed Ghana to retain its golden share and kept the company domiciled and headquartered in Ghana on top of that - and predicted just such an outcome going forward into the future, if the government lost the golden share in any takeover of Ashanti Goldfields.
Unfortunately, what we predicted would happen - if our sincere advice as patriots and well-meaning nationalists was ignored by that particular crop of Ghana's hard-of-hearing politicians - has now come to pass, alas. Pity.
However, be that as it may, having once been given the greenlight to take over Ashanti Goldfields, all those years ago, our country is duty-bound to protect AngloGold Ashanti's investment in Obuasi - and the present government must fulfil that obligation: and ought to deploy the security agencies to Obuasi immediately to remove all the illegal gold miners from the company's concession.
Illegal gold miners are fast becoming a menace to Ghanaian society.
They must be dealt with ruthlessly by officialdom before their unfathomable greed for gold destroys our nation and literally erodes our quality of life completely. Enough is enough. The government of Ghana must remove all the illegal gold miners from AngloGold Ashanti's Obuasi concession immediately.
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