By: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Dr. Sulemanu Koney, has raised a very dire situation regarding Ghana’s environment.
According to him, Ghana’s environment is under siege due to the nefarious galamsey activities of some unscrupulous individuals, politicians, chiefs, bureaucrats, and security officials.
Speaking at the National Dialogue on Illegal Mining, put together by an Accra-based Joynews TV and supported by WaterAid Ghana and the Ghana Chamber of Mines, held at the Labadi Beach Hotel, Dr. Koney called for immediate action to stop the galamsey menace.
Meanwhile, Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, a former Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), during his presentation on the state of galamsey in Ghana, expressed concern over the current state of Ghana’s rivers.
In a lamentative mood, the former Minister for Environment, Science, and Technology maintained that illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, has left most river bodies polluted.
According to him, the gravity of the situation is such that traditional activities like paddling canoes have become impossible, rendering speed boats useless in water bodies contaminated by galamsey activities.
Prof. Frimpong-Boateng emphasised that the polluted water is now unfit for any meaningful use, including drinking, washing, irrigation, bathing, and cooking.
He explained that aquatic life, including fish, has been either poisoned or killed by the pollution.
“If you look at the water basins in this country, most of them have been affected, so, the rivers, you can’t paddle any canoe on them, speed boats are useless.
I mean, you have heard that the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources imported speedboats; they cannot function on our water bodies because the water is not good for anything; you can’t drink it, you can’t wash with it, you can’t cook with it; no bathing, irrigation, and watering of gardens not possible; watering of animals not possible; fish and other creatures poisoned or dead; and tree crops are also polluted.
So, what is the use of our rivers? Ghana is the only country where we have rivers, but they are no useful,” he lamented.
