The Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Rt. Rev. Dr Abraham Nana Opare Kwakye, has called on the government to demonstrate the political will needed to decisively tackle illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
He said the government has the authority and resources to end the menace, which continues to destroy mining communities, pollute water bodies and impose significant financial costs on the state.
Speaking in an interview with Bernard Avle on Channel One TV’s The Point of View on Wednesday, August 26, Rt. Rev. Dr Kwakye said urgent and decisive action was required to protect the country’s environment and water resources.
“I think that government has the political power. It also has the might to crush galamsey. If government wants to crush galamsey, government is able to,” he said.
According to him, the effects of illegal mining have become increasingly damaging, particularly in communities where mining activities are concentrated.
He noted that several water bodies have been polluted, forcing the state to spend huge amounts of money on water treatment.
“The communities where mining is taking place are getting destroyed. And our waters are polluted. And we spend huge amounts of money to treat water,” he said.
Presbyterian Church intensifies advocacy
Rt. Rev. Dr Kwakye said the Presbyterian Church of Ghana would continue to use its platform to raise awareness about the dangers of illegal mining and advocate for stronger action against the practice.
He explained that the Church recently held its annual symposium in Tarkwa in the Western Region, rather than Accra, to enable participants to directly observe the impact of illegal mining on communities.
The symposium was followed by the National Red Sunday campaign, which also sought to draw attention to the environmental consequences of galamsey.
The Presbyterian Moderator urged Ghanaians to collectively confront the problem, stressing that its effects extend beyond mining communities.
“We sit in Accra, there’s no galamsey going on here, but we are all reaping from what is happening in these places,” he said.
He said polluted water and environmental degradation ultimately affect people across the country, regardless of where they live.
Calls for bipartisan approach
Rt. Rev. Dr Kwakye also called for a bipartisan approach to the fight against illegal mining, insisting that the Presbyterian Church’s position is not influenced by political considerations.
He recalled that the first National Red Sunday was held in 2024, when the National Democratic Congress (NDC) was in opposition, to demonstrate that the Church’s campaign was not directed at any particular political party.
“We are not partisan. We are looking at the welfare and development of our nation,” he said.
He stressed that the Church would continue to speak against galamsey regardless of which political party was in power.
According to him, the environmental consequences of illegal mining affect everyone and do not recognise political affiliation.
“The water that is polluted does not ask whether your lips are NDC or New Patriotic Party. They don’t seek your partisan colours,” he said.
He therefore urged political leaders and citizens to put partisan interests aside and work together to protect Ghana’s natural resources.
‘I want results, not just a state of emergency’
The Presbyterian Moderator also expressed reservations about calls for the government to declare a state of emergency to deal with illegal mining.
He said declaring a state of emergency would not necessarily solve the problem if it did not result in effective enforcement and measurable improvements.
“A state of emergency might be declared, and it may not yield fruit,” he said.
Rt. Rev. Dr Kwakye said his priority was to see concrete action that would reduce illegal mining, protect water bodies and restore degraded lands.
He maintained that whatever measures the government adopts must ultimately produce tangible results in the fight against galamsey.
