The King of the Asante Kingdom, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has had the unpleasant opportunity to personally witness the level of pollution the River Pra- a 240-km-long river in southern Ghana that flows into the Gulf of Guinea- has undergone as a result of illegal mining activities.
The opportunity presented itself while he journeyed to Central Region on Thursday, September 5, 2024, for official duties.
Speaking about it during a dinner with the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) at his residence in Kumasi on September 9, 2024, he characterized the experience as “embarrassing”.
“It was so embarrassing and if as a nation we live for this to happen to us…We have to fight this no matter what.”
The Asantehene asserted that illegal mining is an environmental enemy that must be rooted out.
“Galamsey is now an Environmental Enemy for the nation. What could be more serious for any people than to have their entire water supply system at risk,” he said and shared his personal experience with the current state of the River Pra.
He is sure collective efforts of all sections of society would do the magic.
“I think you should find space during this conference, to set up a panel to undertake a quick tour of the communities where this scourge is most prevalent to see the extent of the crisis we face and hopefully deliberate on how the law should respond. As I see it, if an individual poisons the water supply of a community he will be liable for severe consequences under the law. What does the law do when one pours mercury into the same water supply knowing fully well it can kill?”
“To do nothing is no longer an option. The Bar Association, the Medical Association and the universities, in particular, the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology should get together and carve a new path to deal with this emergency.”
Source: Manhyia Palace
