By King Amoah
In a scathing indictment of the nation’s political class, a renowned Kumasi based cleric and Head Pastor of the Faith Outreach Ministry, Apostle John Kwaku Appiah has alleged that politicians are the core enemies of Ghana’s progress.
According to the man of God. alleged systemic corruption and unchecked menace of illegal mining (galamsey) are actively destroying the country’s future and leaving the citizens to suffer while leaders amass wealth at their expenses.
Speaking to the correspondent in an exclusive interview regarding the rising wave of galamsey and the apparent failure of the authorities to curb it, Apostle Appiah didn’t hold back.
He alleged that politicians in Ghana routinely exploit the ignorance of the vulnerable citizens to amass wealth while they prioritize personal and family luxuries over national development.
The clergy reiterated that politicians in the country pretend to have the nation at heart, whilst in their own hearts they know they are only struggling for their own welfare and that of their family members.
The Galamsey Crisis- Environmental Devastation and Health Toll:
The clergyman expressed deep concern over the rapid environmental degradation that caused by illegal mining, noting that the passive stance of leadership clearly exposes those who harbor hatred for the nation’s development.
He questioned why leaders continually refuse to create a conducive policies to protect vital water bodies and forest reserves and instead prefer watching them to suffer total destruction.
Highlighting on the severe public health implications that illegal mining poses, Apostle Appiah cited medical experts who link a rise in diseases across the country to galamsey activities.
He hinted of chilling observations where babies born in galamsey endemic communities are increasingly presenting with horrifying congenital deformities including damaged legs, noses and heads.
Furthermore the Apostle stated that instead of preserving the nation’s lands and mineral deposits for posterity, leaders are actively inviting foreigners to engage in the destruction of Ghana’s drinking water sources, all while these same foreign citizens protect their own natural resources back home.
Complicity Across the Board:
Apostle Appiah asserted that the destruction of river bodies and forest reserves cannot be halted because nearly all politicians own illegal mining concessions.
Worse still, he noted that traditional chiefs and even some members of the clergy who are expected to be the moral compass of the society are heavily culpable, thus rendering them to be silent on the matter.
The cleric contended that the politicians exploit the vulnerable citizens, pay them to work on their galamsey sites while they amass wealth to buy expensive mansions abroad and thereafter not bothered by the toxic legacy they leave behind for the very people who voted them into power.
Failed Interventions and a Bleak Future:
Addressing government interventions, Apostle Appiah recalled the establishment of the Blue Water Company which was introduced to champion for clean and wholesome water for Ghanaians , alleging that the company failed to perform its mandate as corruption and galamsey continue to worsen, despite government claims of a successful fight against the menace.
Apostle Appiah concluded with a dire warning that unless the current trajectory of greed and environmental vandalism are reversed, Ghana will be virtually uninhabitable within the next 50 years all because the nation’s leadership appears fundamentally opposed to genuine development.
