A convener of the Media Coalition Against Galamsey, Dr Kenneth Ashigbey, has criticised the country’s leaders for failing to effectively combat illegal mining activities polluting water bodies.

According to him, the issue extends beyond security challenges to a broader leadership failure, pointing out that illegal mining in water bodies currently occurs openly without intervention.

“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,” he said. 

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Speaking to JoyNews, Dr Ashigbey stated that water pollution issues have plagued the Ghana Water Company for some time, leading to significant problems for those who rely on these water sources.

He expressed concern that even treated water may still contain traces of metallic substances, raising questions about the safety of bottled and sachet water.

"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 questioned.

Dr Ashigbey said that it is a critical time for the country and that the media coalition must intensify its efforts to combat the problem.

“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.

He also called on President Akufo-Addo to follow the example of Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, who has been destooling chiefs involved in illegal mining activities.

“Why is it that the DCEs, MCEs that control the districts at where the Pra River, Tano River, and all our big river bodies have been dying - why are they still at post? The regional ministers who are coordinating these DCEs, what is happening to them,” he questioned.