The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Mr. Joseph Boahen Aidoo made shocking revelations about illegal mining affecting farmlands and how everyone in the country is at risk at the sitting of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Tuesday.
According to Mr. Aidoo, if the illegal mining popularly known as galamsey continues most of the important rivers in the country such as River Ankobra, River Pra and River Offin will disappear.
He emphasised that these rivers are currently choked with silt impeding the turbidity of the water.
The COCOBOD CEO was of the view that everyone including the MPs are at risk, stressing that even though illegal mining is not done in Accra, the miners are using dangerous chemicals such as Mercury and that could affect the water or fish being used in Accra.
“Mr. Chairman 50 years from now, Ghana could be importing water if the illegal mining continues” he added.
Mr. Who was not happy about the way the illegal miners are taking over the farmlands which is affecting cocoa production noted that some farmers have to transport clean water from their houses to water their crops in their farms because all the River bodies have been polluted.
Mr. Aidoo made these revelations when he led a team from the COCOBOD to respond to infractions cited against them in the 2020 Auditor General’s report.
The team could not explain why the Cocoa clinic does accept and offer services to people with NHIS cards. The CEO pleaded with the Chairman of the Committee to afford the team more time to get more information on the query and make it available to the Committee.
Some other Ministries that appeared before the Committee today include the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Food and Agriculture.
The sitting was chaired by the Chairman of the Committee, Hon. James Klutse-Avedzi.
