The President of the Pioneer Ghana Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church, Pastor Richard Ntriakwah, has appealed to President John Dramani Mahama to take firm and decisive action against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, in order to help save lives.
According to him, the persistent menace of galamsey is causing severe destruction to Ghana’s water bodies, forest reserves, and the environment as a whole.
Pastor Ntriakwah made the call while speaking at the Mayenda Seventh-day Adventist Church Pioneer Ghana Conference Homecoming Celebration, held under the theme “Heritage and Identity: Making a New Future for a Mission.” He warned that the presence of toxic substances in water bodies as a result of illegal mining poses serious health risks to the population.
He further noted that galamsey activities discourage potential investors from coming into the country and continue to pollute major water sources, rendering them unsafe for human consumption.
Sound on Tape (SOT): Richard Ntriakwah, President, Pioneer Ghana Conference of SDA.
Meanwhile, the Mayenda SDA District Pastor, Reverend Christopher Tegah, advised the youth to desist from behaviours that could jeopardise their future. He encouraged them to focus on studying the Word of God to help shape their lives positively.
In his concluding remarks, the District Chief Executive for Awutu Senya West, Hon. Kalala Nyamekye Eghan, pledged that the Municipal Assembly, together with the Member of Parliament, would support the church to grow, acknowledging its status as one of the oldest SDA churches in the country.
