- Videos have showed the Ayensu River in Kwanyako turned murky orange, allegedly due to destructive galamsey activities
- President John Mahama admitted the fight against galamsey was difficult but vowed to persist, despite mounting challenges
- Ghanaians expressed outrage online, warning that unchecked illegal mining endangered health and the future of the nation
Some disturbing videos showing the current state of the Kwanyako Ayensu River, due to the alleged effects of galamsey activities, have sparked nationwide concern on social media.
Source: Twitter
Some videos sighted by YEN.com.gh on social media showed residents filming the murky orange hue from the river in the Agona East Municipal District of the Central Region.
These videos paint a harrowing picture of environmental degradation that threatens not only the river’s ecosystem but also the very health and future of thousands of locals around the area.
The once-clear waters, essential for drinking and fishing, are now suffering the effects of the illegal mining scourge.
Galamsey activities have been rampant due to the rise in unemployment in the country; however, it is evident that their environmental cost is catastrophic.
Galamsey activities lead to forests being cleared, water bodies being destroyed, and the very foundation of rural livelihoods being eroded.
Watch the Twitter video below:
President John Mahama addresses galamsey
President John Dramani Mahama, whose administration is battling galamsey activities, had earlier said he never believed the fight against illegal mining could be won in just four months.
While speaking at the May Day parade at the Black Star Square in Accra on May 1, 2025, the President described the fight as a difficult task that requires time, effort, and persistence, remarking:
“I did not kid myself that when I came into office, I would win that fight in four months, yet we will not give up.”
Beatrice Annan, a presidential staffer and member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) communication team, stated that the President remains committed to ending galamsey for good.
According to her, since assuming office in January 2025, the ruling government had made progress in reclaiming forests affected by illegal mining activities, with eight out of nine such forests restored.
Disturbing clip of Ayensu River stirs reactions
Many Ghanaians have expressed their thoughts and concerns on the clips, and they have called for stricter rules to address the effects of galamsey activities. Some of the comments are below.
@Adwoakyeraaba said:
“Nature will go after every wicked person who has a hand in and benefits from the destruction of the forest, land and water bodies. They will live to confess their sins.”
@_Drederder wrote:
“Dark days are ahead for Ghana. We’re sitting on a time bomb. Either stop this mess now or keep playing politics and let it destroy you all. Choose wisely!”
@EnigmaPatriot commented:
“It doesn’t affect the President directly and neither does it affect those in leadership. Until drastic decision is taken nothing changes.”
@augustborn001 said:
“There is no galamsay activities in Agona yet the water bodies there are affected, at this point galamsayers should be treated as criminals. 😡”
Source: Twitter
KNUST students build drone to fight galamsey
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that some engineering students at a top Ghanaian university had designed a high-altitude drone to combat the country’s widespread galamsey activities.
The drone innovation by students of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology offered safer intelligence gathering, reducing the risks of violent confrontations with the miners.
Their innovation follows the tragic Ghana Air Force helicopter crash on August 6, 2025, that killed a group of politicians who were on their way to Obuasi for an event aimed at ending galamsey.
Proofreading by Bruce Douglas, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
Source: Yen.com.gh
