Professor Kojo Yankah, Founder of the Pan African Heritage Museum, has expressed worry over the posture of the President, Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo on the fight against the illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, which has destroyed major water bodies all across the country.
According to Prof. Kojo Yankah, the President and his government have let the nation down, with respect to protecting the nation’s environment and its natural resources.
Posting on his official Facebook Page on September 4, 2024, Professor Yankah, who is also the Founder of the African University College and Communication(AUCC), lamented over the increase in decline of the safety of the various water bodies, which, hitherto, was a source of drinking water for many people living in the rural areas.
The fight against the illegal mining menace looks lost as the quality of drinking water in parts of the country keeps reducing at a very alarming rate.
In a recent publication from the Ghana Water Company Limited, it has announced that it may not be able to supply potable drinking water to Cape Coast and its environs due to the gravity of residues accumulated in the River Pra, making it difficult to treat the water.
Following the disturbing news, Professor Kojo Yankah asked what prevented the inter-ministerial committee that was set up to tackle galamsey and the security agencies from co-opting the National House of Chiefs and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in the exercise.
He said, “What was stopping the government from holding bipartisan town hall meetings to seek support for the exercise to address the issue. Dancing around the subject and trying to justify or parry the blame is itself very hypocritical.”
Professor Kojo Yankah stated, “l feel amused when l see intellectuals trying to play a balancing game on matters which demand direct criticism. We are talking Leadership here. Galamsey reared its head before President Mahama lost the 2016 Elections. Come President Akufo Addo who gave so much hope by putting his Presidency on the line. Some of us loved it because a grave situation like Galamsey could not, and cannot, be controlled by an Association of Professional Bodies (or any CSO).”
The President rightly appointed an Inter-Ministerial Committee backed by ALL the Security Agencies – the most powerful instrument to use in handling such a critical issue. One immediate top headline news that came out of the exercise was the arrest of a Chinese woman, Aisha Huang. Senior Minister Osafo Maafo is on record to have said that she was released for ‘some diplomatic reasons’ (my own words).”
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l feel amused when l see intellectuals trying to play a balancing game on matters which demand direct criticism. We are talking Leadership here. Galamsey reared its head before President Mahama lost the 2016 Elections. Come President Akufo Addo who gave so much hope by putting his Presidency on the line. Some of us loved it because a grave situation like Galamsey could not, and cannot, be controlled by an Association of Professional Bodies (or any CSO).
The President rightly appointed an Inter-Ministerial Committee backed by ALL the Security Agencies – the most powerful instrument to use in handling such a critical issue. One immediate top headline news that came out of the exercise was the arrest of a Chinese woman, Aisha. Senior Minister Osafo Maafo is on record to have said that she was released for ‘some diplomatic reasons’ (my own words).”
This gave courage to some big shots to join the game. We are still to know the full reason for Major Mahama’s brutal murder. Who has been put before court to restrain the other offenders. Who is behind those criminals causing such levels of devastation? We are still waiting for Government action on the comprehensive report produced by the eminent reputable scientist/doctor Professor Frimpong Boateng.
What prevented the Inter-ministerial committee and the security agencies from co-opting the National House of Chiefs and NGOs in the exercise? What was stopping the government from holding bipartisan town hall meetings to seek support for the exercise. At least, now we know that Ghana Water Company has officially announced that Ghana faces Water Crisis. The Forestry Commission has confirmed that our Forest has been badly depleted. We know as a fact that a deceased party boss willed part of Ghana’s forestry reserves to his family members.
The Government (any government) has all the necessary power and tools at its disposal to arrest and deal with any person or persons, whatever their affiliations, who participated in this heinous crime of endangering the economy and future of Ghana. Dancing around the subject and trying to justify or parry the blame is itself very hypocritical.
I wonder what President Akufo-Addo and his government can do between now and the Elections, but l believe that the President and his government have let the nation down, with respect to protecting the nation’s environment and natural resources, and an address on the state of the nation’s resources is due.
The Truth must be told. That we fail to see this as one of the reasons for the country’s shabby economy is nothing short of intellectual dishonesty. All Governments should be held accountable for their promises, actions and inactions ! We need to cure this cancer in order to end these equalization comments!
Kojo Yankah
