He is from the United States. Despite their failures, the pair remain hopeful for the future. Can you talk about your new colleague Dave Thomas? The kids autism is just another excuse for the idiot to stop working and run home. What sort of feedback do you get from viewers about the show? SENT to Ghana for a TV series, the American stars of Jungle Gold were accused of destroying the environment, exploiting workers, racism and even murder. Its author, Amma Bonsu, a Ghanaian activist and investment banker in Toronto, wrote that Jungle Gold reprised the antiquated narrative of Africa as a lawless jungle. [The] under-bed of racism is so alive in this [show]! she later told me. Do you guys take any measures to minimize your impact? There are plenty of other channels. When the United States Navy SEALs killed bin Laden during the operation, they captured a prize far greater and more valuable [], Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), on Discovery announces limited-run Gold Rush spinoff series, on Discovery special presents details on classified bin Laden intel, http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1124.html, Discovery announces limited-run Gold Rush spinoff series, Discovery Channels Alaskan Bush People recap: A Wolfpack Divided, Discovery special presents details on classified bin Laden intel, Single Ladies Decide if Country Livin is for Them in Farmer Wants a Wife. Those guys on the dredge they were having a really good time. He paused. We fell comfortable. This is a tale of our times the new American Dream set in the jungles of Africa, the introduction read. Hey guys i heard that their are NO more chinese people who are searching for gold. Same here, it completely went down hill with all of the reality shows. They just have to survive long enough to go back and tell the world, I guess. I think they just wanted us out of there, Wright said. Aboagye was shocked. Am I supposed to feel bad for their debt as they exploit Africans? The series chronicles the continuing efforts of former real-estate dealers George Wright and Scott Lomu as they mine for gold in Ghana in an attempt to pay off the over $1 million debt they face in the wake of the real-estate crash. In 2009, Macias was working as a private security contractor in Afghanistan, but hed grown tired of war zones. This show is 90% scripted, the laws they portray in the show are complete non-sense. Scott Lomu and George Wright buying supplies during an episode of Jungle Gold. Lomu signaled for the check. Villagers set up roadblocks and demanded hundreds of dollars. Tall, handsome, and half-Polynesian, he studied business at Arizona State University and did his Mormon mission in Indianapolis. The Ghanaian government permitted Mormon activities to resume 18 months after the ban. (George: 100 duck sized horses for sure, Scott: 1 duck sized horse) (Will do videos for Karma), Jungle Gold on Discovery Channel this Sunday's 10/9c after Breaking Bad on AMC. Their wives are also dedicated to the idea of not just funding their own families but making sure Wallys kids and wife are taken care of. 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1975th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 975th year of the 2nd millennium, the 75th year of the 20th century, and the 6th year of the 1970s decade. In one of the shows most-watched episodes, an excavator for Lomu and Wright is tearing up cocoa trees when an angry farmer approaches with a machete. Just goes to show how really gullible Hollywood thinks the viewing public is. And one of their original crew had taken his own life. He moved to Utah in 2000, and when the Olympics Winter Games came to Salt Lake City two years later, he rented furnished houses and apartments to people in town for the event. When Lomu suggested removing the miners by force, a chief replied: If you attempt it, they will kill you! The crew captured everything on film and loved it. It mostly comes down to the bravest of us all which is our wives they support us 100 percent. Villagers routinely set up roadblocks and demanded hundreds of dollars to pass. He and his friend George Wright had gone to Ghana the previous summer to mine gold, and what he was watching on TV was ho-hum compared to the most uneventful day in Ghana. He also began investing in real estate, which was how he met Scott Lomu. America. When I asked what he and others had made of the predominantly white film crew in their midst, he shot me a confused look. They found it frustrating that Ghanaian ex-pats, many of whom were out of touch with the realities of Ghanas mining communities, criticized them for exploiting Ghanaians, when in fact, they said, theyd put unemployed Ghanaians to work. Season 2 of Jungle Gold airs Sundays at 10pm ET/PT on Discovery Channel. The people are very friendly and non aggressive. Two weeks later, before the commission had a chance to review the seven-page document, Aboagye said, Jungle Gold premiered in the U.S. He was crushed to learn I was not. What was the viewer reaction following the season premiere of Jungle Gold? When the cast and crew arrived on the first day of filming, however, they found it crawling with Chinese miners. I think it would shock a lot of people to hear how encouraging they are, and how supportive they are. Wright and Lomu considered escaping into the jungle, but Discovery made the final decision. They hoped early struggles would lead to large profits by the end of the 10-episode run, benefiting both the stars and the villages they worked in. When I visited Aboagye in his cluttered office the following year, he told me hed requested a synopsis of the program the crew planned to make. in exploring and developing gold mining opportunities in South and North Gold, which ran two seasons on the Discovery Channel. Lomu couldnt believe what he was seeing. One op-ed, titled Jungle Gold: A Case Study in the Exploitation of Africa, captured the collective indignation that greeted the series. Rainstorms and excavator breakdowns caused endless delays. We kind of shed a pretty big spotlight on the activities of illegal miners in Ghana. Most of the times one of the celebrity is famous and then because of him/her, other members get famous as well. Unfortunately, most locals can't afford to mine the gold, they need outside investment. G: Good question, for us this was nothing more than the right opportunity at the right time. The episode catalogued a series of ugly confrontations, including an illegal roadblock, the tense argument with tribal chiefs, and a risky back alley gold deal. Former real estate high-rollers George and Scott regularly turned over million dollar deals. This time, they mined on the land of a Ghanaian Mormon bishop who had partnered with Lomus father-in-law. ), Earlier this year, I met Wright and Lomu at Wrights four-bedroom house in Eagle Mountain, Utah. In the show Dave Thomas is portrayed as a major landowner/prospector in Ghana. Youre doing this all for your families. Etc. In the most cases they also have children. We hope it's a win-win. They have hatched a radical plan to turn things around; mining for gold. They forfeited the cash and moved to a less profitable site. understanding of conducting mining operations in underdeveloped The holes revealed a high concentration of gold in the ground. It was terrifying, it was really scary, Wright admitted. IE 11 is not supported. A fight breaks out and martial arts-trained angry George, as he was nicknamed, strangles the man until he passes out. Lomu and Wright promised to show people more respect and understanding. In the final episode of the seven-part series, the struggling pair are offered the chance to work on a large-scale operation for a rich Ghanaian, if they can raise $15,000. Additionally, Mr. Lomu has been appointed as Chairman of the Companys Jungle Gold. I think our audience got younger and that could be because we were advertised heavily during Shark Week. They watched as the title card flashed onscreen to the sounds of an explosion and a screeching howler monkey. Both men had worked in Utah's real estate market, had young families to support and debts piling up. The next day, Joy FM dispatched its Kumasi correspondent, Erastus Asare Donkor, to gather reactions to the story in the citys streets and markets. Element United is the first to market in bringing blockchain technology to gold + precious elements. Contact Jed Lipinski at jed.lipinski@gmail.com. | Learn more about Scott Lomu's work experience, education, connections . We were very happy with them, he said. Under the section Danger and Risk, Raw wrote: It would be easy to paint Ghana as a dangerous and risky environment, and by our audiences standards it certainly is. By announcing gold existed in Fahiakobo on an international TV network, Tay believed Jungle Gold would attract other law-abiding American and European gold miners, slowly lifting the village out of poverty. When he and other commission officials watched clips of the show online, they were appalled by its depiction of Ghana. Its a sad story, but their determination to continue in Wallys honor is one you have to hear. Last modified on Sat 2 Jul 2022 00.15 EDT. And were kind of a fast-paced, explosive show, and I do think we attract a little bit younger audience. I feel like its actually underappreciated and underdemonstrated in any medium. The day before, he and the entire cast and crew of the Discovery Channel reality show Jungle Gold had fled a nearby village fearing an armed militia was after them. What shocked me is how much seemingly relevant content never gets used. Greenhorn gold miners George Wright and Scott Lomu put everything on the line -- their lives included -- to hit pay dirt in the gold-rich and danger-filled jungles of Ghana. Invigorated by this new prospect, the three men invested in a small-scale operation near the mining town of Obuasi, a four-hour drive from Accra, and took turns traveling to Ghana over the next three months. In perhaps the best-known episode from Jungle Gold, an excavator is ripping up an acre of cocoa trees when an irate cocoa farmer named Akwesi emerges from the bush, machete in hand. One of the biggest lessons weve learned is dealing with people. Contribute to changjiangsx/sbm development by creating an account on GitHub. James Weir recaps. We were in panic mode. Wright found work translating Spanish for an Arizona-based equipment supplier bidding for contracts in Colombias mining sector. He had some access to some land that Scott and I were needing, if we can come up with the money, so we had to come back home and figure out how were were going to do that. But the. Once the show ended, they pursued a few of the offers, but nothing came of them. When Doyle learned the arrest warrant had been extended to the crew, he called for an immediate evacuation. Scott Lomu: Because weve moved from Friday to Sunday it seems like our audience has gotten a lot younger. Yeah, I just about hate the leads of #JUNGLEGOLD 8 min in. The reality stars of Jungle Gold on the Discovery Channel (DStv 121) face fines, arrest and even possible imprisonment over charges of alleged brutality and illegal mining in Ghana, with the Ghanaian government which now wants to see Scott Lomu and George Wright apprehended and arrested. If anyones going to make money from gold digging here (other than corrupt officials, thieves and the Chinese government), they at least have a shot. Clean-cut Lomu and Wright were working together in Utahs declining real estate industry when they heard Ghana was experiencing a modern-day gold rush and attracting overseas miners, mainly Chinese, to try their luck. They wanted to know how we had allowed such a disgusting program to air on TV, a spokesperson for the commission told me. is that truth, are they gone? But, you will find Ghana a fantastic country. A heated argument ensued. believe Ensurge has the potential to grow into a significant junior He watched in puzzlement as Wright ordered an excavator driver to tear it all down. The program, he soon discovered, was set in Ghana. George Wright: Theres a lot of entrepreneurs out there that get in touch with us. Ask something else I can answer. Taxis that once passed every 10 minutes, shuttling miners to work, now came a few times per day. But for those thinking that theyre bad actors or are, worse, faking the drama, they have an offer for you come to visit them in Ghana for a few days. In April 2013, it premiered on Ghanaian TV. I Am A, where the mundane becomes fascinating and the outrageous suddenly seems normal. Prior to the fight, locals had regarded the cast and crew with friendly curiosity. I don't watch the show, but I'm curious if it makes an attempt to discuss the environmental impacts (bulldozing forests, polluting water with mercury and arsenic, etc.) In a surreal scene, Lomu jumps in the car with a gold bar he says is worth $75,000, before a masked man runs out of the jungle firing a machine gun, steals the gold and runs off. Large-scale licenses begin at around $3 million, putting them out of Wright and Lomus price range. BOOM! With Scott Lomu, George Wright. Ensurge Inc. announced that Scott Lomu and George Wright have accepted positions as members of the company's management team. Whatever it is, thats what we realized they were saying I wish I could do that. Meaning that dream. People were actually angry! Donkor told me. You were a bad realtor, a dreamer, no clue about mining, engineering, equipment operation, management, or investment. Big fan of the show, one my friends is from Ghana and I got him watching the show as well. So, thanks again. Big props to the crew if they really risked themselves like that to get the footage. Lomu peeked out the compounds window, half expecting a military convoy to break down the gate and haul them away. George: We met him towards the end of our last little stint out there. The only money these guys will ever have is the money they get from the producer who pays them at least $20-30,000 per episode. Scott Lomu and George Wright, . They have to prove the new claim is stacked with gold or their investors will pull funding. Theres something to be said about that allure. It looked like their foray into mining was over until they stumbled across Discoverys Alaskan mining reality show, Gold Rush. Maybe little Scottie will have a headache or a hang nail as his next excuse for constant failure. By August 2012, more than two months into the shoot, the stars joint venture had found only a few ounces of gold. We were entirely without expectations, Wright told news.com.au. Soon we will be creating games and NFTs based on real elements. A short video about the incident appeared months later on Discoverys website. Onscreen, an overweight guy with a wizardly goatee was struggling to fix the motor of an excavator. And yes, I have heard many of them are gone. It was shown because it's the main way of gold recovery in Africa, what they didn't show in the show was us trying to get our workers to wear gloves, our seeking for other separating methods that ultimately we didn't have money for at the time etc. Wright and Lomu had never imagined they would end up mining for gold in Ghana. Really angry that certain things would happen here on our soil. Many thought the stars had killed a man a rumor based on a YouTube clip of Wright choking out the cocoa farmer. Furious, Wright and Lomu gathered a dozen local chiefs and tribal elders to solve the dispute. Who gave you permission to work here? Akwesi demands, before tackling the crews Ghanaian security guard. As methodical and reserved as Wright is impulsive and outspoken, Lomu, eight years Wrights senior, was raised outside Phoenix. This was met with disappointment in the first 5 days of our trip to Africa because it's not even CLOSE to easy to get cheap gold in Africa, they know the price of Gold better than anybody! That drippy wife should stop whining and deal with it while her husband a finally does a days work. Reeling from the news, Lomu flew to Utah the next day. Theres more chance if drippy wife getting off her ass and getting a part time job, Dru kelly why so bitter? Public Relations and Scott Lomu as Vice President of Investor Relations. A couple of years ago, Utah Valley residents Scott Lomu, 37, and George Wright, 29, decided to investigate after Lomu's father-in-law, who had explored the booming Ghanaian gold market himself . One of them was Wright, whose entrepreneurial drive and years in South America Lomu saw as an asset. Their dreams of getting rich in Ghana faded from view. They stop mining, protecting the environment and local communities. Last year we were forced to use mercury which was really hard for a lot of people. Whose the stupid ones ? Take a good look, Scottie, he said. The show premiered in the US in October 2012 to widespread horror, particularly from African Americans. As the crew debated alternate plotlines, Lomu went out to dinner in Obuasi. Within minutes, the team slipped through customs and boarded a 30-passenger jet chartered by Discovery. Content Rating. Clint Mishleau, the Companys CEO, stated, We are very pleased to have Discovery was so impressed by the clips they upped the season from 10 episodes to 16. Six months later, in May 2012, Wright and Lomu met with the Raw crew inside an opulent conference room at the Golden Tulip hotel in Accra to discuss the projected arc of Season 1. Around the time Lomu saw himself on TV, Evans Mensah was channel-surfing in his Accra apartment when an image of bright green cocoa trees filled the screen. Weary of small-scale mining, the men enthusiastically agreed. It was a typical move: Ghana, formerly the Gold Coast, was one of the earliest African countries to declare its independence from colonial rule in 1957. I can hardly wait to see what drama they come up with next. Jungle Gold achieved a worldwide audience exceeding 60 million George Wright in 'Jungle Gold' Photo courtesy of Discovery Channel. It shows A side of us, and we're hoping to show another side with you guys. The Lomu brothers then drew up a three-page final draft outlining the premise and sample episodes, in which three American entrepreneurs in dire financial straits would grapple with Ghanaian tribal chiefs, gold robbers, rival miners and each other. In a 2013 Reddit AMA, several commenters asked Wright and Lomu whether the scene was scripted. The Guyana operation was expanding, and Mishleau valued Wright and Lomus years of mining experience in Ghana. Can you tell us your secret at being perfect such as yourself. On the morning of May 9, hours before the first article ran, Wright was in Fahiakobo preparing for the days shoot when he received a disturbing call from Reece. The site itself was a wide clearing in the jungle scarred by gaping 20-foot pits, where Ghanaian laborers wrangled the equipment in pools of coffee-colored mud. Its very easy to lose your temper, it very easy to feel like everybodys trying to take advantage of you and trying to take your land. He was sawing into an overcooked hamburger patty when he glanced at the flatscreen on the wall. The cast and crew pulled into Fahiakobo that March. George: Theres something to be said about gold fever about realizing that I dig a hole, I find gold. Most assumed they were mining illegally. That would be exporting it, as Wright and Lomu have to mine through such obstacles as armed locals and illegal miners . When I asked a 21-year-old local named Nana Jyamfi what he did for a living, he laughed: Im waiting for the Chinese to come back.. Now, as he scanned his iPhone, Wright saw that he and his co-star, Scott Lomu, were also facing government accusations of illegal gold mining. (It has since been clarified in the wake of Jungle Gold.) Scott Lomu and George Wright land at a rural airport in Kumasi, Ghana. She was crying hysterically. According to Lomu, Raw had replied that Discovery could not pull the show from Ghana without pulling it from DStv altogether. 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