Verdict: Misleading. DUBAWA’s research revealed that the video of the muddied waterfall was that of the Kintampo waterfall. It was filmed in 2023, not 2024. Anas Sabit Anas, a journalist in the Brong Ahafo region where the waterfall is located, told DUBAWA that the water is clean and clear but occasionally muddied when torrential rains occur.

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Beatrice Annan, a deputy spokesperson of ex-Ghanaian President John Mahama, has shared a video of a muddied waterfall, blaming the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) for the condition.

The Facebook post, which featured a collage of two videos, showed a video of a clean waterfall on the left hand, purportedly taken in 2016, and a muddied waterfall on the right hand, taken in 2024.

A screenshot of the video collage shared on Facebook

The lawyer wrote on Sept. 14, 2023, that:

“This is no longer funny. For how long will the NPP continue to destroy our country while we remain quiet?”

See a similar video shared on YouTube here.

Beatrice’s post follows a renewed campaign nationwide for President Nana Akufo-Addo’s government to ban illegal mining called Galamsey.

Data showed that about 60 percent of Ghana’s water bodies have been polluted, and the activities of illegal miners have destroyed forest reserves.

Commenting on the post, a Facebook user wrote:

“The remaining [three] months to the election [are too] much. We can’t continue with this criminal impunity [and] hardships.”

Another Facebook user added:

“This is terrible. Oh, Akufo-Addo and Dr Bawumia, why?”

The social media platform showed that, as of Sept. 15, 2024, the post had received over 2,300 views, 83 likes, 24 comments, and 19 shares.

DUBAWA decided to probe the claim as part of its campaign against misinformation and disinformation in Ghana.

Verification

DUBAWA’s research revealed that the video of the muddied waterfall Mr Mahama’s aide shared was that of the Kintampo waterfall. It was filmed in 2023, not 2024.

The findings of DUBAWA’s Google keyword search showed that the video of the muddied Kintampo waterfall was filmed in 2023 after a heavy downpour.

An Instagram user shared the video on Oct. 10, 2023, with the following caption:

“The current state of the Kintampo ‘TEA’ falls & BO’TEA’ Falls. The future doesn’t look bright anymore. According to them, it’s due to unusual torrential rains in the region causing an overflow which brought loads of mud & debris from upstream, giving the water a temporary makeover.”

DUBAWA contacted Anass Sabit Gidan-Sarki, a journalist in the Bono East region where the waterfall is located. Anass revealed that the water is clean and clear but occasionally gets muddied when torrential rains occur.

“The water just gets sometimes dirtier when there’s a heavy downpour,” Anass told DUBAWA.

Anass shared this picture of the Kintampo waterfall with DUBAWA, which was taken two months ago. Photo credit: Anass Sabit Gidan-Sarki

According to Mr Sabit Gidan-Sarki, the tourist site has been managed well after the 2017 tragedy where 18 people died following a heavy downpour.

“The facility has been managed very well since the incident. It is now under the care of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA),” he said.

See videos of the Kintampo waterfall after the 2017 disaster here, here, and here.

It is, however, unclear the year the video of the clean Kintampo waterfall was filmed.

Conclusion

The video of the muddied Kintampo waterfall Mr Mahama’s aide, Beatrice Annan, shared was filmed in 2023, not 2024, as she alleged.

That’s according to Prophet Gyebi, a renowned Ghanaian pastor based in Kumasi and known for his prophesies.

Prophet Gyebi has revealed that the country will be hit by a storm that will displace many and result in the loss of hundreds of lives.

He confirmed that this prophesy has been looming in a while and within this rainy season it will manifest itself

He declared that “An update of a prophetic word. You remember God through me revealed that there will be strong winds and thunder, today I bring the update. People should watch out. This is a prophetic update. I made this revealation 2 or 3 weeks ago. I saw thunder and strong winds accompanied by floods destroying properties and many drowning in the floods. Lives were lost”

He emphasised that there is an urgent need for us as Ghanaians to fervently pray and call upon the mercies of our creator.

He said, “God is with us, we need to keep on praying for God’s mercy and this is the time we need to pray to Him. We need to pray for Him for divine intervention.”

The last time the country experienced such a disaster was in 2015 when a filling station at Kwame Nkrumah Circle exploded after rains had caused the place to flood.

More than 150 lives were destroyed and scores of people injured. Properties running into thousands of cedis were also destroyed and some people affected by the tragedy are yet to recover from the disaster two years after it occurred.

Tribal conflict

Prophet Gyebi also gave an indication that the pockets of ethnic conflicts and misunderstandings we are witnessing in the country is a hint of a looming national disaster.

He noted that that we need to be more prayerful as there will be more of such tribal misunderstanding

“The ethnic wars we are experiencing now in the country, it is going to heighten. We need to be more prayerful. We will see more conflicts that may get out of hand.” he intimated

Prophet Gyebi is the Ghanaian Pastor that prophesied about the Kintampo Waterfall disaster that came to pass and the victory of President Akufo-Addo ahead of the 2016 general election that has also manifested.