Galamsey should be declared a national security threat - Prof. Joseph Osafo

The Director of the Centre for Ageing Studies at the University of Ghana, Prof. Joseph Osafo, has called for galamsey to be declared a national security threat.

Speaking on Peace FM, Prof. Osafo highlighted the environmental and health dangers posed by illegal mining.

Galamsey has severely impacted Ghana's water bodies, with the most recent example being the contamination of River Pra, which has turned brownish.

The Ghana Water Company Ltd. (GWCL) has issued a stern warning to residents in areas affected by galamsey, stating that "about sixty percent (60%) of the catchment capacity is silted as a result of illegal mining (galamsey) compromising the quality of raw water. We are currently recording an average turbidity of 14,000 NTU instead of 2000 NTU designed for adequate treatment."

The company has raised concerns about the "severe inconveniences" caused by galamsey activities to residents in regions like Cape Coast, Elmina, and their surrounding areas.

"Your assistance is crucial in helping us restore the quality of the raw water and ensure a reliable water supply of clean drinking water," the company urged Ghanaians.

This Prof. Osafo suggested that the fight against galamsey should be entrusted entirely to the security agencies, particularly the Military without political interference.

"Water resources should be treated as security issues... We should begin treating water bodies as a security threat and deploy security services... We plead with our politicians and leaders that where this country is heading to, we need something more than promises. I think it's about time we need actions and not promises," he emphasized and asked, "Why can't we treat water as a security issue?... What are we doing to ourselves?"