Church of Pentecost Chair Slammed By Mahama Appointee Dr Mary Awusi After Raising Galamsey Concerns
- Dr Mary Awusi, CEO of the Ghana Free Zones Authority, threatened Apostle Eric Nyamekye over his comments on illegal mining
- Awusi highlighted the silence on past pollution under previous administrations to question Nyamekye’s credibility
- The Chairman of the Church of Pentecost recently spoke about illegal mining's impact on church activities and water baptism
Dr Mary Awusi, CEO of the Ghana Free Zones Authority, has threatened Apostle Dr Eric Nyamekye, Chairman of the Church of Pentecost, because he made some public comments about the threat of illegal mining.
Awusi threatened to deal with him if he made such comments again.
Speaking in an interview on Accra FM on April 23, Awusi said her threats were because she felt Nyamekye was being partisan, despite the pastor having raised about illegal mining under the previous administration.
"He is a man of God, so we will forgive him, but next time he shouldn't come so low to that level. Next time, when he stoops so low and tries to do politics, they will deal with him as a politician."
"When Nana Addo was President, if you went to the mining communities, the rivers were like mud. At that time, was he in Ghana or wasn't he in Ghana? Did he see that or did he not see how the rivers were then?" she asked.
She added that under the current Mahama administration, measures have been put in place that have improved the state of water bodies compared to the past, and insisted that such progress cannot be ignored.
What did Nyamekye say about galamsey?
Delivering the State of the Church Address at the 48th General Conference on April 22, Nyamekye said the pollution of rivers and streams from illegal mining was directly disrupting key church practices, including water baptism.
This has forced the church to shift to synthetic rubber pools in affected districts.
Citi News reported that Nyamekye also complained about the effects illegal mining was having on members of the church he oversees.
“These unpredictable environmental conditions, along with the seasonal migration of fish stocks, continue to impact the steady financial growth and stability of affected local assemblies."
About the illegal mining problem
Artisanal and small-scale gold mining in Ghana has traditionally been an indigenous activity traced back to the 15th century, which often employed rudimentary means of extracting the minerals.
Chinese involvement has transformed the illegal small-scale mining through the introduction of machinery like the aforementioned Changfa crushing machines and the trommel wash plants, as well as the proliferation of excavators, water platforms and suction equipment for dredging in rivers.
This mechanisation has allowed land that would previously have taken years to mine using traditional methods to be mined in weeks.
Source: Facebook
Mahama admits his people involved in galamsey
YEN.com.gh reported that President John Mahama admitted that people affiliated with him and his political party are involved in illegal mining.
Mahama complained that illegal mining had deeply infiltrated Ghanaian society.
One of his appointees, the Amansie Central District Chief Executive, was implicated in facilitating illegal mining, but no action has been taken against Changfa.
Source: YEN.com.gh
