The Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South, Dr Kingsley Agyemang, has underscored the need for the country's security agencies to take decisive actions against illegal miners and their activities.

In a signed statement dated Wednesday, October 8, 2025, the lawmaker expressed the view that the activities of illegal miners (galamseyers) pose dangerous risks to the lives of Ghanaians and future generations, as they continue to pollute water bodies and degrade the land.

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He stated that the Birim River, which serves several communities in the Abuakwa South Constituency through the Kyebi Water Treatment Plant, has been polluted and rendered unsafe for consumption, due to illegal mining activities.

“For months now, I have watched with deep sorrow as the soul of Abuakwa South bleeds. The Ghana Water Limited has, for over three months, been unable to operate the Kyebi Water Treatment Plant that supplies potable water to Kyebi and the entire municipality.

“The Birim River, once the pride and lifeline of our people, has turned into a thick sludge of poison. Its turbidity now stands at 64,000 NTU, a level so dangerously high that the water is untreatable and unsafe for human use,” the lawmaker stated.

He indicated that most of the culprits involved in such activities are foreigners from neighbouring countries, and called on the security agencies to deal with them decisively in accordance with the law, without leniency.

“What breaks my heart even more is that many of those involved in these illegal mining activities are foreigners from neighbouring countries. Their actions are not only destroying our natural environment but also undermining the peace, safety, and moral fabric of our society.

“As the Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South, I cannot remain silent while our people suffer and our land perishes. I am, therefore, making a passionate appeal to all the relevant institutions within the criminal justice value chain, including the Police, the Prosecution Service, the Judiciary, and the Environmental Protection Agencies, to act decisively and without fear or favor. The law must bite, and it must bite hard. Those who profit from the destruction of our environment, whether local or foreign, must be made to face the full rigors of the law,” he appealed.

Dr Kingsley asserted that the fight against illegal mining must not be rooted in politics but should instead be seen as a moral obligation, requiring a collective effort from all stakeholders and Ghanaians to achieve success.

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“This is not a political battle. It is a moral and existential one. We are fighting for our survival, for our children, and for generations yet unborn. The Birim River must live again. For without water, there is no life, and without life, there is no future,” he added.

Read his statement below:



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