In a symbolic moment on live television, Sheikh Aremeyaw Shaibu, spokesperson for the National Chief Imam, and Rev. Dr. Lawrence Tetteh, President of the World Miracle Outreach Church, raised glasses filled with polluted water to honor President Nana Akufo-Addo and other prominent figures.
The gesture was a striking statement aimed at highlighting the devastating impact of illegal mining, or galamsey, on Ghana’s water bodies.
As they made the toast, Sheikh Aremeyaw Shaibu delivered a brief but poignant speech.
“This is a painful one. We are going to start the program with a ceremony, which will make this program a different one. The ceremony is that we are going to do cheers. As we drink mercury, syenite. Great respect to the president and all in the presidency. Great respect to all parliamentarians, those in the galamsey site and outside the galamsey site. All MCEs, in fact, Nananom. We want to thank God for… us giving ourselves water like this, which can be so poisonous,” he remarked.
The shocking use of polluted water was a direct reflection of the critical damage galamsey has caused to rivers across the country. Rivers like the Bonsa in the Western Region and the Pra in the Ashanti Region have been heavily contaminated with chemicals like mercury and cyanide, used by illegal miners in gold extraction. This pollution has severely affected communities dependent on these rivers for drinking water and agricultural use.
In addition to river contamination, illegal mining has destroyed forest reserves such as the Tano Nimiri in the Western North Region and the Draw River Forest in the Western Region. The problem has been so severe that the Ghana Water Company Limited has reported major disruptions to water supply in areas like Cape Coast and Elmina due to galamsey pollution.
In response to the environmental crisis, the government has ramped up efforts to combat illegal mining. Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, recently announced the introduction of mercury-free machines to eliminate the use of the harmful substance in mining operations. Mercury, when used in mining, contaminates rivers directly or indirectly by entering the atmosphere and settling in water bodies through rainfall, posing serious health risks to humans and wildlife.