Founder of the Perez Chapel International, Archbishop Charles Agyinasare, has strongly criticised the political leadership and Ghanaians for allowing illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, to degrade and desecrate the environment.
According to him, the menace persists because leaders are more concerned about immediate gains than future repercussions.
Delivering a sermon on galamsey on September 8, he stressed that it is time for leadership to change their perception of the issue. He warned that if nothing is done now, there will be nothing left for the next generation.
“People of my generation, what are we leaving for our children and our children’s children? We are destroying everything. We are not accountable, we are not responsible, and we are not taking charge of the situation. We are destroying the land,” he said.
The newly inducted President of the Bible Society explained that galamsey is slowly depriving Ghana of additional revenue. He noted that Ghana, once the leading producer of cocoa, is now facing market concerns as some cocoa is believed to contain mercury, making it unsafe for consumption.
Archbishop Agyinasare further revealed that some buyers now prefer cocoa from China over Ghana’s. He also warned that galamsey is impacting public health, with reports of children living near illegal mining sites suffering from health conditions and, in some cases, missing body parts.
“We can’t even export cocoa because they will accuse us of our land. The mercury in our soil, so what are we leaving for our generations unborn,” he quizzed.
The Archbishop explained that he was commenting on the issue to add his voice to the various calls by stakeholders to end the galamsey menace.
He referenced a JoyNews journalist’s report that highlighted the alarming cases of babies being born without genitalia, attributing this to the harmful effects of illegal mining.
On the back of this, he said “Church, our land is mourning due to the destructive practices of galamsey and you and I must take heed of this warning, because when we neglect our responsibility not only does the land suffer but we all suffer,” he said.
He showed the congregation images of the Lena River in Russia and the Yukon River in Canada, both of which are rich in gold and mineral deposits. However, due to strong leadership and concern for future generations, these rivers remain untouched.
In contrast, he lamented that in Ghana, both leadership and citizens lack the ethics needed to protect the environment. This negligence, he said, has given foreigners the audacity to mine in Ghana’s rivers, turning many of the once-pure waterways into thick brown streams, unsafe for aquatic life.
He warned, “There is coming a time even the fish we eat, we can’t eat it anymore.”
The President of the Bible Society stressed that “we are stewards of the land, and as followers of Christ, we are called to be good stewards of God’s creation.”
He added that, galamsey-affected lands can be reclaimed and restored if action is taken early, noting that with time, these lands can begin to heal and grow back.
Archbishop Agyinasare prayed for wisdom for the leadership, so that these lands may be reclaimed for future generations.