By: Benjamin Nii Nai Anyetei
A former Presidential Staffer under the Akufo-Addo led administration, Mr. Dennis Miracles Aboagye, has raised alarm over severe pollution of the Ayensu River, which has forced the shutdown of a water treatment plant serving parts of the Central Region.
In a Facebook post, Mr. Aboagye revealed that residents of Mankrong and Kwanyarko, who depend on the river for daily use, have never witnessed such levels of contamination. According to him, the closure of the treatment facility has left about 11 districts without access to potable water.
“The women now have to fetch this same water and cook it for hours before they can drink. The painful part is that these communities do no mining. They are only suffering the impact of mining from hundreds of kilometers away,” he wrote.
Mr. Aboagye blamed the current government for failing to keep its promises on galamsey, arguing that the situation has worsened since the NDC assumed office in 2025. He alleged that the government has adopted a “laid-back attitude” to the fight, with party officials in some areas “leading the onslaught” on river bodies.
“This NDC Government won the 2024 elections largely on the back of galamsey and the inability of the NPP to win the fight. Today, the situation is worse. Our water bodies have been invaded three times fold and are deteriorating at an alarming rate,” he stated.
He further challenged the government to implement at least the six promises it made to the people, insisting that even a failed attempt would show commitment.
Mr. Aboagye also accused the administration of enabling the destruction by “buying gold from galamseyers” while denying the severity of the crisis.
“For now, there is little hope, and we are counting on the NDC government to change this,” he added.
