The Church of Pentecost has issued a stark warning over the economic and environmental toll of illegal mining, known locally as galamsey, arguing that the practice threatens Ghana’s long-term viability.

Dr. Felix Klutse, the church’s media ministry director, described the activity as “economic sabotage” that jeopardizes future generations by degrading critical natural resources, particularly water. His remarks follow renewed concerns from the church’s chairman, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, about the accelerating pollution of rivers and streams.

Addressing the denomination’s 48th General Conference on April 22, Apostle Nyamekye said contamination from illegal mining has begun to disrupt core religious practices, including water baptism. In several mining communities, the church has been forced to abandon rivers in favor of synthetic pools due to health risks.

Dr. Klutse, speaking on Citi News the same day, said the environmental damage carries broader economic implications. “A nation that destroys its water bodies is digging its own grave,” he said, adding that water resources, once lost, cannot be recovered through policy measures.

The church, which practices baptism by full immersion, has increasingly had to adapt as polluted waterways render traditional methods unsafe. Leaders say the shift underscores the immediate, practical consequences of environmental degradation, even within religious life.

The warnings add to growing pressure on authorities to curb illegal mining, which has intensified in recent years amid rising gold prices and weak enforcement, leaving a trail of deforestation and heavily polluted water systems.

Source:TheDotNews