Renowned investigative journalist Erastus Asare Donkor has strongly criticized the government’s response to the illegal mining crisis, or galamsey, accusing it of deliberately distorting the narrative for political gain.
In a damming revelation, Erastus Asare Donkor accused the government of intentionally politicizing the issue, turning a national emergency into a partisan debate, to distract the public from the real crisis—environmental degradation, public health risks, and the destruction of vital water bodies.
“The government machinery has created a spin to disinform, misinform and malinform gullible sections of the Ghanaian public They intentionally decided to put a political spin on Galamsey to change the narrative and turn attention from the devastating consequences of Galamsey to an NPP/NDC debate and the feeble-minded sections of the public have bought into it”.
Erastus Asare Donkor, renowned and award-wining investigative journalist
He expressed frustration at how easily sections of the public have been swayed into viewing the issue through a political lens, rather than recognizing the far-reaching consequences galamsey poses to their health, agriculture, and overall well-being.
Erastus Asare Donkor sharply questioned the logic behind this approach, asking, “Do you need the NDC to tell you that polluted rivers and streams affect your health, agriculture, and your very existence as a human?”
His remarks were a clear indictment of those who have allowed political propaganda to overshadow the undeniable reality of environmental destruction and human suffering caused by galamsey.
Sowing Seeds of Discord
In his critique, the 2023 GJA Journalist of the Year, accused the government of deliberately sowing seeds of discord by pushing a false narrative that the calls for a state of emergency on water bodies were part of an NDC agenda.
He debunked this notion, pointing out that the campaign against galamsey predates the 2024 political season and has been an ongoing issue for years.
“The government has sown seeds of discord in the minds of many Ghanaians that the timing of the galamsey debate is politically motivated. This is false because the galamsey stories and the calls to do something about it did not start in 2024”.
Erastus Asare Donkor, renowned and award-wining investigative journalist
A Track Record of Inaction
Erastus Asare Donkor backed his claims with a detailed account of his investigative work on galamsey, which he has been documenting since 2022.
He pointed out that his first documentary, Destruction for Gold (2022) exposed the involvement of high-profile figures of the ruling party in illegal mining, an opportunity he said the government had to act but failed to seize.
“That was an opportunity to do something about Galamsey but they didn’t. ‘Poisoned for Gold’ was in 2023. And it delved deep into the effect of Galamsey on public health. That too did not get them to act. In fact this government stopped all interventions at fighting Galamsey in 2023”.
Erastus Asare Donkor, renowned and award-wining investigative journalist
He went further to expose the environmental degradation of the Apamprama Forest Reserve in the Ashanti Region in Forests under Siege.
Here also, Erastus Asare Donkor, strongly asserted that his reports revealed that 50 per cent of the forest had been turned into pits and gullies, yet the illegal mining continued, unchecked by authorities, asserting that the government’s inaction extends even before 2024.
“My colleague Richard Kwadwo Nyarko did a fantastic revelation in exposing the grave nature of the Pra and the inability of GWCL to treat it. This coupled with our collective hammering on the subject now forced the government to speak about it. Even then they still will not act”.
Erastus Asare Donkor, renowned and award-wining investigative journalist
He underscored the government’s reluctance to take meaningful steps despite the extensive evidence of Galamsey’s destructive impact.
A Call to Rise Above Politics
Although Erastus Asare Donkor acknowledged the NDC’s involvement in the politicization of the galamsey debate, describing it as “needless, stupid politics,” he emphasized that the government should have taken the moral high ground and focused on the welfare of the people.
“If this government is committed to fighting this nonsense, why will they put votes ahead of the lives of Ghanaians? Your opponent can play dirty, but you could still have chosen the right path, and people like me would have supported you”.
Erastus Asare Donkor, renowned and award-wining investigative journalist
He decried the government’s apparent prioritization of political expediency over national interest, calling out those who downplay the catastrophic effects of galamsey as “FOOLS,” who fail to grasp the severity of the situation.
Erastus Asare Donkor’s indictment of the government’s response to galamsey is a stark reminder of the environmental and health disaster looming over Ghana, underscoring the urgent need for decisive action and accountability against the menace.
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