Former Minister for Lands and Natural Resources and Member of Parliament for Damongo, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has raised concerns over the increasing turbidity levels in Ghana’s rivers.
He warned that the worsening state of water quality is a clear indicator of the deepening environmental crisis fuelled by illegal small-scale mining (galamsey).
Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show (SMS) on Thursday, September 25, Mr Jinapor expressed disappointment at the current trajectory of the fight against galamsey.
He noted that despite previous efforts, recent assessments suggest that the situation has deteriorated rather than improved.
“I am worried, I am concerned that today we are being told the turbidity levels have gotten far worse,” Mr Jinapor remarked.
“So we then have to ask ourselves some tough questions. The Akufo-Addo administration obviously did not deal with galamsey conclusively, I would be disingenuous to claim otherwise. But when I do a comparative analysis of the turbidity levels, it gives us serious cause for concern.”
He reiterated his long-held stance that political interference and partisan blame games have undermined meaningful progress in tackling the issue.
“I said when we were in government that we will not make headway if we politicise this matter,” he stressed.
Referring to the political dynamics surrounding the 2024 general elections, Mr Jinapor pointed out that the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) capitalised on galamsey politics during the campaign period, while the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) suffered electoral setbacks partly as a result of its approach to the issue.
“Of course, the NDC were huge beneficiaries of galamsey politics in the run-up to the 2024 elections. The NPP lost considerably more. And now, there is a tendency for some within the NPP and its collaborators to say this is payback time, but I want to strongly advise against that,” he said.
The former Minister warned that such a mindset would only further erode the political will required to address the crisis effectively.
“You will not have the political will and spine to deal with this matter if your political opponents are kicking galamsey as a football,” he cautioned.
“It should be a national call. All of us should be united in the fight against illegal small-scale mining.”
Source: Emmanuel Tetteh
