Galamsey: Claim that water bodies got affected just last month completely false

On September 27, 2024, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) launched its grassroots-based group, Bawumia’s Volunteers 2024 (B24).

The event, held at the Rattray Park Dome in the Nhyiaeso Constituency of the Ashanti Region, was reportedly aimed at mobilising votes for the party ahead of the 2024 general elections.

At the launch, Dr Ayew Afriyie, the Member of Parliament for Effiduase Asokore and Chairman of Parliament’s Health Committee, stated that the government has no plans to ban illegal mining (galamsey) either now or in the future, adding that the government recognises the political consequences of such a ban, especially in mining constituencies.

“We won’t stop galamsey today, we won’t stop galamsey tomorrow,” NPP MP, Dr Ayew Afriyie.
Video Credit: 3news#StopGalamseyNow pic.twitter.com/W5zI1fNY8F

— The Fourth Estate (@fourthestategh) September 28, 2024

Dr Afriyie also claimed that there had not been issues with the water bodies until only recently.

Fact-Check Ghana has verified the MP’s claim on water pollution and presents its findings below.

Claim: “The whole year water bodies have not been a problem until now; isn’t it just one month ago that it started?”

Verdict: Completely False

Explanation: In the Ashanti region alone where Dr Afriyie made the claim, the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) and residents in the region have repeatedly announced the impact of illegal mining (Galamsey) on its water supply in the past eight years.

Five years ago, in March 2017, Stanley Mantey, the Head of Communications at the GWCL, provided an overview on the Citi Breakfast Show regarding the extent of water pollution caused by illegal mining activities. He noted that almost all the rivers across the country had been affected at that time.

Mr Mantey stated that the Enu River in the Ashanti Region, which supplies water to residents in Konongo, has been polluted due to illegal mining activities. He mentioned that the GWLC has taken steps to address the issue and noted that “the work done in the area is yielding results.”

In February 2020, Alhaji Adam Yakubu, Water Quality Manager for GWLC in the Ashanti Region, expressed concerns over the impact of illegal mining on water quality. He stated that galamsey activities had significantly increased water turbidity, reaching 6000ph, making water treatment much more expensive. Yakubu emphasized that it was no longer economically viable to continue spending heavily on treating the same volume of water for residents, particularly in areas like Odaso, where water availability could decrease if the situation persisted.

On May 24, 2021, the Adansiman Progressive Youth Association (APA) raised concerns about a looming water crisis in Obuasi due to illegal mining. These activities, they said, threaten two major water bodies, the River Gyimi and River Oda, which supply water to both the AngloGold Ashanti Mine and the Obuasi township. According to APA, the dams were underperforming due to pollution and siltation caused by illegal mining.

“The Watereso Water Project, which feeds the Obuasi Community, is broken down due to illegal mining and dredging for gold in the [Oda] River. The pressure on the Gyimi Dam, which feeds the AngloGold Ashanti Mine and the Obuasi Community, is immense,” said James Addai, the group’s president.

In June 2021, the GWCL explained that over 140,000 residents of Obuasi and its surrounding areas in the Ashanti Region were facing water shortages due to galamsey. The company’s water production had significantly decreased from four million gallons per day to just one million gallons.

The then Managing Director, Ing. Dr Clifford Braimah, highlighted that the activities of illegal miners were directly affecting water resources and, in turn, GWCL’s ability to meet the water needs of the affected communities.

“Whatever happens to the resources has a direct impact on us at Ghana Water Company. Galamsey is making us reduce the volumes of water that we can store in our reservoirs to abstract,” he stated during a forum on water accessibility organised by the Israeli Embassy in Ghana.

In September 2022, the GWCL warned that it might be forced to shut down operations in areas impacted by galamsey if the cost of water treatment becomes economically unsustainable.

GWCL reiterated this warning in 2023, stating that it would not hesitate to shut down its plants in areas affected by illegal mining if the turbidity levels of raw water in those areas exceed a critical threshold.

In March 2024, the GWCL planned to shut down two water treatment plants due to galamsey. In August 2024, GWCL attributed recent water supply challenges in Cape Coast to galamsey, stating that the demand-supply gap was caused by insufficient raw water at the Sekyere Hemang Water Treatment Plant due to galamsey activities.

Based on the above, the claim by the MP for Effiduase Asokore and Chairman of Parliament’s Health Committee, Dr Ayew Afriyie, that water bodies have not been a problem due to illegal mining until last month, September 2024, is completely false. Evidence shows that illegal mining has been impacting water bodies across Ghana for several years, with significant reports of pollution and water supply challenges dating back as far as 2017.