The Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South, Dr Kingsley Agyemang, has appealed for urgent action to stop illegal mining (galamsey), which he says has left thousands of residents without clean water and is destroying the very fabric of the community.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, October 8, titled “A Cry for Our Birim River and Our People: The Time to End Galamsey in Abuakwa South is Now,” Dr Agyemang said he has watched “with deep sorrow as the soul of Abuakwa South bleeds.”
He revealed that the Ghana Water Company Limited has been unable to operate the Kyebi Water Treatment Plant for over three months due to the heavily polluted Birim River.
According to him, the river’s turbidity has reached 64,000 NTU, a level he described as “so dangerously high that the water is untreatable and unsafe for human use.” This, he said, has deprived thousands of people across the municipality of access to potable water.
“When water is life, the absence of it is the absence of life itself,” the MP said. “Abuakwa South, the land of our birth and hope, now gasps for breath because a few individuals have chosen greed over the collective good.”
Dr Agyemang expressed concern that many of those engaged in illegal mining are foreigners, whose actions have far-reaching effects beyond environmental degradation.
“Their actions are not only destroying our natural environment but also undermining the peace, safety, and moral fabric of our society,” he said. “We are witnessing a surge in crime, drug abuse, and general social instability.”
He warned that the impact of galamsey extends beyond the riverbanks, pointing to the destruction of farmlands, the poisoning of soil, and the decline of cocoa production. “
When our rivers are dead, our farms unproductive, and our schools empty, we lose not only our livelihood but also our future,” he noted.
Calling for stronger enforcement of the law, Dr Agyemang urged institutions within the criminal justice system, including the Police, the Prosecution Service, the Judiciary, and the Environmental Protection Agency to act “decisively and without fear or favour.”
“The law must bite, and it must bite hard. Those who profit from the destruction of our environment, whether local or foreign, must be made to face the full rigours of the law,” he added.
The MP also commended the Abuakwa South Municipal Assembly and security agencies for their recent efforts to clamp down on illegal mining. However, he cautioned that these efforts must not be short-lived.
“I urge that this not become another nine-day wonder,” he said.
“The measure of true success will not be in press briefings or temporary raids, but in the restoration of clean water, the return of our farmlands, and the rejuvenation of our communities.”
Dr Agyemang further appealed to traditional authorities, youth groups, religious bodies, and all citizens of goodwill to unite in the fight against galamsey.
“This is not a political battle. It is a moral and existential one,” he said. “We are fighting for our survival, for our children, and for generations yet unborn.”
“The Birim River must live again. For without water, there is no life, and without life, there is
is no future,” he added.
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