Kow Abaka Essuman, lawyer and NPP member, has painted a grim picture of Ghana’s environmental state, describing the impact of illegal mining as “heartbreaking” and an existential threat to the country’s future.
In an emotional conversation on Starr Chat with Bola Ray, Essuman recounted what he witnessed during recent travels across mining areas.
“When you fly over Takoradi, you see what looks like Milo flowing through the country, brown water everywhere. It’s heartbreaking,” he said. “When you drive through Chibi at night, you see people coming out from the bushes in their Wellington boots. It’s happening now.”
He emphasized that the degradation of rivers and forests was not just an ecological issue but also a human crisis.
“The young men involved see it as a quick way to make money because there are no jobs,” he observed, calling for stronger investment in alternative livelihoods and reclamation initiatives.
Essuman suggested that technology could play a critical role in cleaning polluted water bodies and reclaiming destroyed lands.
“There’s technology for cleaning water and restoring degraded lands,” he said. “We started some of those projects during our time, and there’s no need for any government to reinvent the wheel.”
He further proposed a regional approach to the crisis, given that illegal mining affects several West African nations.
“There must be a global conversation on how to treat our water bodies and preserve our forest areas,” he said.
