A leading voice in the fight against illegal mining and a convener of the Media Coalition Against Galamsey, Dr. Kenneth Ashigbey, has sharply criticised Ghana’s leadership for its failure to address the widespread illegal mining activities that are devastating the nation’s water bodies.
He attributes this crisis to a lack of effective leadership across all levels of government, accusing both national and local leaders of neglecting their responsibilities.
Dr. Ashigbey’s critique extends from top-tier leaders down to District and Municipal Chief Executives (DCEs and MCEs), whom he claims have allowed illegal mining, known locally as “galamsey,” to thrive openly without adequate intervention.
In an interview on JoyNews, he said, “It’s basically leadership failure, all the way from the top to our local leaders. So the DCEs, the MCEs, the Police Commanders, the intelligence teams that are at the areas where these things are happening,” Dr. Ashigbey stated.
He questioned why those responsible for overseeing areas like the Pra and Tano Rivers, which have been severely polluted, remain in office.
“Why are they still at post? The regional ministers who are coordinating these DCEs, what is happening to them?”
Dr. Ashigbey urged President Nana Akufo-Addo to follow the example of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, who has taken decisive action by destooling chiefs involved in illegal mining activities. He suggested that similar accountability measures be applied to local government officials who have failed to curb the menace in their jurisdictions.
He further highlighted the long-standing water pollution crisis that has burdened the Ghana Water Company, stressing the dangers it poses to the public.
Dr. Ashigbey expressed concern over the safety of even treated water, cautioning that it may still contain harmful metallic substances.
“Even you who is living in Accra and you think you are drinking some bottled or sachet water – how are we sure that those heavy metals are being treated out of them?” he asked.
Recognising the gravity of the situation, Dr. Ashigbey called for renewed efforts from the media coalition, including legal actions against those who have failed to act.
“The time has come to start getting lawyers to help us, go to court and start suing people who have to take actions for the things that we are doing to ourselves and to the generation yet unborn,” he asserted.