By King Amoah
A section of Ghanaian public have strongly expressed their disapproval over the government’s recent allocation of Ghc 9.4 billion to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The funds are reportedly earmarked for combating river pollution and other environmental degradation across the nation with a key focus on employing Nanom Liquid Technology to purify polluted waterways for human consumption.
However this initiative has been met with widespread skepticism with many questioning its effectiveness and accusing government of mismanaging national resources while the pervasive issue of illegal mining continues to run rampant.
The sentiments were made palpable during a heated discussions on Thursday February 26 th, on the morning show program dubbed Issues Arising From The Country hosted by Nana Odeatuo Obrempong on Kumasi based radio station Rock 93.3fm.
Listeners through phone in calls expressed their concerns: the government’s attempt to address the challenges of pollution without tackling its root cause which is the the relentless activities of galamsey operations.
Callers pointed to the ongoing destruction of ecosystems including the widely publicized degradation of rivers and depletion of forest reserves as some stark evidence that galamsey activities have not ceased
If galamsey is still actively destroying our environment including rivers and forests then what is the real essence of spending such huge state funds to fight against the canker while the destructive activities continue unabated, a listener queried.
The program indicated the launch of a Technology for Clean Water And Fight Against Environmental Pollution initiative with the EPA expected to commence its work on the Birim River.
The program which was monitored by the correspondent noted that the initiative did not garner favor from the public who viewed it as a misplaced priority given the unresolved environmental crisis.
The overwhelming consensus from the public opinion expressed on Rock 93.3fm was that the government’s move while seemingly well intentioned, is fundamentally flawed.
Callers insisted that any credit for such an initiative would only be warranted once the perpetrators of environmental pollution particularly the galamsey operators are demonstrably flushed out and their activities brought to a definitive halt
A piece of advice was directed towards the government:
We advise the government to take a second look into this clean water action and if possible divert these funds to address more pressing issues like the repair of our dilapidated roads.
The current approach is bound to be a wasteful endeavor as long as galamsey continues to exist and perhaps even deeper than before.
- Attached picture: EPA CEO Professor Nana Browne Klutse.
