Rev. Professor Paul Frimpong-Manso, former President of the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council, has voiced grave concerns over the escalating illegal mining activities, commonly known as “galamsey,” which are devastating the country’s water bodies.
Criticizing both the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for their inaction on the galamsey issue, he questioned the relevance of their manifestos.
“If Otumfuo could recently sack three chiefs, if two journalists can go and arrest some people and bring them to justice, if a king in the Eastern Region can order bulldozers to be burned, what about those who control the police, the Mining Commission, the Minister, the District Chief Executives (DCEs), and the rest?” he asked, pointing out the lack of effective action by authorities.
He warned that if not urgently addressed, the nation faces a dire future revealing “We are sitting on a time bomb. It is a disaster. We are committing a national genocide, not only against ourselves but against generations yet unborn,” Rev. Prof. Frimpong-Manso stated during an interview on Joy News.
Rev. Prof. Frimpong-Manso condemned the institutional failures, emphasizing that mere words cannot solve the problem and no rhetoric can compensate for the lack of action.
Addressing the role of church leaders, he called on them to stand up for the truth and confront the issue head-on emphasizing “As for the Church leaders, please, we are the conscience of the nation. We must either keep quiet and sink together with the populace…
“So, to my fellow church leaders, we must preach the truth. People may hate us, fight us, or not understand us, but that is what Desmond Tutu and others did to liberate South Africa from apartheid.”
He urged church leaders to do more than just preach because illegal mining has reached alarming levels, warning that “Our nation is being destroyed. We are heading toward national doom, and it’s better late than never.”
“I hope that by this coming Sunday, church leaders will wear red bands, go out, and demonstrate—even if it is to the Jubilee House or elsewhere,” Rev. Prof. Frimpong-Manso urged, appealing for collective action to save the country from the looming threat.
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