Afenyo-Markin Urges Bipartisan Action on Galamsey: ‘Enough Talk, Time for Decisive Measures’ to Avert Environmental Catastrophe
In a impassioned address on the reopening of Parliament, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin issued a stark rallying cry for urgent, coordinated action against the escalating illegal mining crisis, declaring that Ghana stands on the brink of an “environmental catastrophe” if lawmakers fail to move beyond rhetoric.
The Effutu MP lambasted the persistent pollution of rivers and farmlands, calling on both sides of the aisle to forge a “visionary and coordinated” strategy to safeguard the nation’s resources and public health.
“Speaker, our rivers run brown with pollution, vast tracts of once fertile land lie scarred and toxic, and many of our citizens in mining communities face illness and danger from poisonous chemicals,” Afenyo-Markin stated, evoking the grim reality of galamsey’s toll.
He recalled Anas Aremeyaw Anas’s seminal 2010 exposés, including “Galamsey Fraud,” which unveiled the corruption and environmental havoc fueling the practice, as a long-ignored clarion call that demands follow-through today.
Afenyo-Markin’s intervention, delivered amid Parliament’s reconvening, highlights the deepening crisis: major waterways like the Pra, Ankobra, Offin, Birim, Tano, and Oti now run toxic with mercury, cyanide, and arsenic from unchecked operations, rendering them undrinkable and unusable for irrigation.
Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) warns of potential water imports by 2030, with turbidity levels in affected rivers soaring to 14,000 NTU—seven times the treatable threshold—and chemicals infiltrating placentas, causing birth defects, kidney failure, and cancers in mining communities.
Economically, the scourge erodes billions in tax revenue, destroys over 100,000 acres of cocoa farms, and threatens key sectors like agriculture and manufacturing amid surging global gold prices.
The call resonates with recent bipartisan frustrations, as Afenyo-Markin previously decried the politicization of the fight in early October, admitting collective failure and advocating for non-partisan enforcement.
It echoes GWCL’s 24-month recovery plan for eight polluted catchments and Lands Minister Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah’s designation of water bodies as national security zones, yet underscores the gap between promises and results—over 60% of forests lost and persistent health epidemics.
Afenyo-Markin’s plea is poised to ignite cross-party deliberations, with potential for a unified bill on intelligence-led policing and community reclamation, as experts advocate science-driven strategies over symbolic raids to reclaim Ghana’s beleaguered ecosystem before it’s too late.
