Senyo Hosi Blasts Mahama Over Galamsey Failures
The Convenor of the One Ghana Movement, Mr. Senyo Hosi, has expressed disappointment in President John Mahama’s handling of the fight against illegal mining, commonly referred to as galamsey.
Speaking on Newsfile and monitored by Vistanewsgh.com, Mr. Hosi said he was frustrated by the President’s response to questions on measures being taken to curb the menace. According to him, despite some improvement, the government’s approach still lacks urgency given the dire environmental consequences.
“The water turbidity levels have shot up, and yet the President doesn’t see anything emergency about that. Yes, there has been some improvement in the fight, but that is not enough,” Mr. Hosi lamented.
He pointed to recent reports by the Water Resources Commission which revealed that turbidity levels in major rivers such as the Pra, Ankobra, and Birim are more than 100 times higher than safe limits set by the World Health Organisation, making treatment increasingly expensive and threatening access to potable water for millions of Ghanaians. Environmental activists also estimate that over 1.7 million hectares of forest reserve have been degraded by illegal mining in the past decade.
However, in a sharp rebuttal, the Chief Executive Officer of the Petroleum Commission, Mr. Edudzi Tamakloe, rejected Mr. Hosi’s assertions, describing them as shocking. According to him, the President has indeed demonstrated commitment to addressing the menace.
“Clearly, the President has acted on the menace. Nine forests that were under siege have been rescued by the security forces, and some 2,000 Blue Water Guards are being engaged. Therefore, the fight is on course,” Mr. Tamakloe explained.
The contrasting views reflect growing debate over whether government efforts are yielding sufficient results in tackling galamsey, a practice that continues to devastate Ghana’s environment, water bodies, and long-term economic stability.