Annoh Dompreh Claims NDC Polluted Ghana's Rivers With More Galamsey Than The NPP Has

• The Majority Chief Whip has claimed the National Democratic Congress is guilty of causing more pollution to Ghana's rivers than the NPP
• Frank Annoh Dompreh was reacting during a heated debate in parliament about the state of Ghana's rivers amidst rampant illegal mining
• The NDC has argued that the Nana Akufo-Addo-led NPP government has failed to tackle the menace effectively and should admit the same

The Majority Chief Whip has accused the National Democratic Congress (NDC) of causing more environmental damage through galamsey activities than the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Frank Annoh Dompreh's accusation followed a heated exchange in parliament concerning the menace of illegal mining and the role of politically exposed figures in perpetuating crimes.

He said a comparative analysis of the NDC and NPP administrations would prove that the opposition party had polluted the rivers worse than the current ruling party.

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Annoh Dompreh's statement was met with a sharp rebuttal from NDC members, who asserted that the NPP government had failed to tackle the galamsey problem effectively.

Per Prime News, Minority Leader Dr Cassiel Ato Forson also argued that the short-lived solution of military intervention had failed as galamsey remained rampant under Nana Akufo-Addo.

He urged President Akufo-Addo and his government to admit they had failed in their promise to tackle the issue effectively.

Meanwhile, the NPP said it remained 'unwavering' in its commitment to end the scourge of illegal mining in the country.

The NDC, meanwhile, urged the government to be transparent and accountable in addressing the galamsey menace.

Security analyst says politicisation of galamsey fight worrying

Security analyst Adib Saani has bemoaned the political polarisation of the fight against the galamsey menace.

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He said the back and forth between the two political parties shows a lack of seriousness and commitment to tackle the pressing issue.

"I mean, we could have resolved this if we had the commitment. We made it a political issue, we leveraged politically on it, and we used it for political experience, but I don't think we had that commitment.

"Trust me, if there were commitments, then I'm saying it shouldn't have been a topic up for discussion today. So that is the unfortunate thing about it," he said.

GWCL raises alarm about pollution in Pra

Meanwhile, the management of the Ghana Water Company Limited in the Central Region is facing challenges in supplying potable water to Cape Coast, Elmina, and surrounds.

It said this challenge stemmed from the inadequacy of raw water received at the Sekyere Hemang Water Treatment Plant (WTP) due to illegal mining activity on the Pra River.

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The GWCL, in a press statement on August 30, 2024, stated that the pollution of the river, particularly at the catchment area for abstraction, had greatly affected water intake.

The GWCL explained that about 60 per cent of the capacity is silted, recording an average turbidity of 14,000 NTU instead of 2000 NTU expected for adequate treatment.

GWCL wants water bodies declared security zones

YEN.com.gh also reported that the Ghana Water Company Limited has urged the government to declare water bodies as security zones.

Dr Clifford Braimah said water bodies would be better protected by having the Water Resources Commission fall under the Defence Ministry.

He explained that destroying the country’s water bodies should be considered a national security issue and needed urgent intervention.

Proofread by Bruce Douglas, senior copy editor at YEN.com.gh

Source: YEN.com.gh