A founding member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe, has issued a stark warning about the destructive effects of illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, urging Ghanaians to take immediate action to stop the environmental and social devastation
Dr. Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe, a founding member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has sounded an urgent alarm over the unchecked spread of illegal mining, or galamsey, across Ghana. In a passionate statement, Dr. Nyaho-Tamakloe declared, “For years, I have spoken about the dangers of galamsey, and today I must speak again, louder and clearer: illegal mining is destroying Ghana, and we cannot afford to look away any longer.”
Drawing from his own observations, he described the heartbreaking transformation of Ghana’s rivers, forests, and farmlands. “The Pra, Birim, Ankobra, and countless others have turned into lifeless streams of mud and poison. Communities that once drank clean water now depend on polluted, toxic rivers. Farmers who once tilled fertile land now stand on wastelands scarred by reckless mining,” he lamented.
Dr. Nyaho-Tamakloe warned that galamsey’s impacts extend beyond the environment, threatening public health and social stability. He pointed to rising cases of skin diseases, waterborne infections, and kidney ailments in mining zones, with pregnant women and children among the most vulnerable. “Communities in mining zones are now reporting rising cases of skin diseases, waterborne infections, and even new kidney cases, spread through the influx of transient workers. Pregnant women and children are drinking contaminated water, with long-term effects on their health,” he explained.
The NPP stalwart also sounded the alarm on food safety, noting that toxic chemicals from galamsey have seeped into the food chain. “Fish, vegetables, and staple crops are being poisoned, creating a silent epidemic of food contamination. Ghanaians are unknowingly eating poison every day because of galamsey. This is not speculation—this is happening now,” he stressed.
Describing galamsey as a “cancer destroying our country,” Dr. Nyaho-Tamakloe blamed political interference, corruption, and selective justice for allowing the menace to persist. He insisted that the Ghana Armed Forces have the capacity to end galamsey swiftly—if only politicians would allow them to act without interference.
To combat the crisis, Dr. Nyaho-Tamakloe proposed several urgent measures: declaring galamsey a national emergency, depoliticising enforcement, holding all actors accountable, restoring damaged land and rivers, providing alternative livelihoods for the youth, and ensuring transparency in licensing.
He called on all Ghanaians, citizens, chiefs, journalists, civil society, and faith leaders, to speak out against galamsey, warning that “silence is complicity. Neutrality is betrayal.” Dr. Nyaho-Tamakloe also appealed to the international community for tangible support and accountability, urging a united front in the fight to save Ghana’s environment and future.
Source: Apexnewsgh.com
