The President of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) chapter, Prof. Eric Kwabena Kyeh Abavare, has asserted that the tragic deaths of eight victims in a recent helicopter crash have been in vain.
The Professor of Physics stated that illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, has not stopped. He observed that the illegal activities are still ongoing, with the situation moving from bad to worse.
Speaking on Nyankonton Mu Nsem on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, Prof. Abavare noted that despite government claims of fighting galamsey, these criminal activities continue to wreak havoc across the country.
In his view, the state of affairs remains unchanged because the destruction of water bodies through galamsey persists.
He lamented that the nation’s water bodies have been polluted to the point where even livestock would reject them.
“We have destroyed our water bodies to the point that even if you give the water to fowls, they will not drink it,” he said.
According to him, some traditional leaders in Ghana accepted kickbacks from illegal miners and permitted them to operate unlawfully.
“Some of our chiefs accepted kickbacks and allowed illegal miners to operate. Some of them bought V8 vehicles and ignored the warnings. The recent heavy rains have exposed all of them, and they are now going about invoking curses out of desperation. We warned them to take the fight against galamsey seriously,” he stated.
Prof. Abavare emphasised that there are several communities across the country with no traces of illegal mining, demonstrating that the nation can succeed if it truly commits to the fight.
He further warned that the recent incident in Samaraboi—where flooding displaced residents and destroyed properties—serves as a clear signal for immediate action to prevent even more severe post-galamsey destruction.
When asked about immediate measures to tackle the crisis, the academic reiterated the call for decisive government intervention.
“We have consistently demanded a declaration of a state of emergency in all galamsey-prone areas. We should also place a temporary ban on small-scale mining activities,” he concluded.
