Chairman Odeneho Kwaku Appiah (COKA), a former Constituency Chairman for Afigya Kwabre South, has raised strong concerns about the state of illegal mining—commonly referred to as galamsey—during the tenure of former President John Dramani Mahama.
According to COKA, illegal mining activities worsened significantly under the Mahama-led National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration, resulting in widespread environmental degradation. He claimed rivers and streams were left heavily polluted and unsafe for human consumption.
“Our water bodies were so polluted they became undrinkable,” he said, alleging that individuals within the NDC were complicit in the galamsey operations that caused the damage.
COKA further argued that no member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) could have operated such destructive mining schemes under the NDC government, suggesting a failure on the part of the previous administration to enforce regulations.
He also urged the media to take a more proactive role in the fight against illegal mining, describing it as not only an environmental threat but a serious public health hazard.
“The media must do more to help protect our environment and change the situation,” he stated, calling on journalists to intensify their advocacy and investigations to expose those behind illegal mining activities.
COKA warned that if galamsey is not tackled decisively, more Ghanaians will continue to suffer from illnesses such as kidney and liver diseases due to polluted water sources.
Source: Awuku Malik
ALSO:
