On the eve of the first anniversary of the August 6, 2025 tragic helicopter crash at Sikakaman-Brofoyedru, near Obuasi, which claimed eight lives, the IMF warned Ghana about what we already know: the hydra-headed negative consequences of “galamsey.”
Incidentally, the eight were on an anti-galamsey education mission when tragedy struck.
The IMF restated what Ghanaian authorities have known for years that, apart from having polluted Ghana’s water bodies with major rivers such as Ankobra, Pra, Tano and Birim reduced to chocolate-coloured sludges moving slowly southwards to the Atlantic Ocean, vegetation, including forest reserves, have been heavily degraded.
Chemicals used in the illegal gold extraction have found themselves into our food chain. Indeed, in 2023-2024, pathologist Prof. Poku Sampene Ossei of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) said that over 4000 placentas had been found to be loaded with heavy metals like lead, arsenic, cyanide and mercury.
On environmental pollution recently, the president of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA), Prof. Ernest Yorke, at the 26th annual convention of GMA at Koforidua at the end of July 2026, threw the Association's weight behind all the concerns about environmental pollution and avoidable deaths to Ghanaians.
His call took me to a 2019 unpublished article I titled “As for Ghana, I know you have already done it,” said to me by my Kenyan taxi-driver in Nairobi. I quote it below!
European ban
I had paid for my pullover and expected it to be put in a plastic bag as is the norm at home in Ghana.
When the salesman held it towards me for collection, I instinctively asked him,
“Don’t you have a rubber bag to put it in?” Smiling, he politely said, “Sir, we banned plastic bags in this country four years ago.
You can buy a paper bag though!”
My host later confirmed the ban on plastics in Europe and stated that that was why everybody carried paper or jute bags, the smaller version of “Ghana must go” in the boot of their cars for shopping.
He added that the ban was instituted as part of the measures to fight the menace of non-degradable plastics from damage to the environment.
This trend of non-use of plastics was to follow in other European countries I subsequently visited.
Whatever groceries one bought, it was the buyer's responsibility to carry them. Plastic carrier bags are now virtually history in Europe.
Paper bags are, however, available for buying in all shops.
Kenyan ban
This incident brought back memories I had in Kenya a few years ago in 2017. My elderly taxi driver had come to the airport to pick me up after my trip overseas.
Very excited, he said, “General, while you were away, plastics got banned in this country!
Now we all have to buy paper bags to carry our goods.
This is very good for us considering the damage to the environment with plastics all over,” he said!”
A retired teacher, my driver was extremely knowledgeable and abreast of current affairs.
Ghana
He continued, “As for your country, Ghana, I know you banned it long ago, even before Rwanda did in 2008!”
The smile on my face quickly vanished. Leaving me no time to recover, he asked, “When did you ban plastics in Ghana?”
I heard myself stammer rather feebly, “Erm…we are yet to do so?”
“What? Ghana?” he exclaimed! “I can’t believe this, considering your leadership role on the continent since you led Africa to independence!
Anyway, I know you will do it soon!”
Anytime I return home from overseas, one of the striking first observations I make is the welcome by plastics!
Plastics of all types of colours, shapes and sizes including flying bags, bottles, old car tyres, etc., all over.
The traditional green leaves into which legendary foods such as garri-and-beans (yorks) and rice-and-beans (“waakye”) were packaged for us by sellers when we were in primary and secondary school have disappeared. In their place, plastics have taken over.
“Pure-water,” palm oil, porridge (koko), fresh coconut juice, and even tea have all joined “yor-ke-garri” (yorks) in plastic bags.
The indiscriminate littering of the environment with these non-biodegradable plastics is destroying our environment unimaginably.
While cows, goats and sheep die after eating plastics, fishermen fish plastics instead of fish. Indeed, some fish have plastics in them when they are cut open.
Concern
My driver expressed optimism about Ghana banning plastics soon. Does available evidence support his optimism (2017) in 2026?
Why have we resigned ourselves to fate as if we cannot do what others on the continent have done?
Why should we be reminded in 2026 by the IMF of the obvious slippery slope we are on, as a country?
Many of our leaders have travelled outside to other countries and have been impressed with how orderly and neat they are, with great respect for the environment.
A common saying in Leadership is that Leadership is not a popularity contest.
Leadership involves taking hard decisions which might be painful to some followers, but in the long term, beneficial to the whole of society, as C17th philosophers like Thomas Hobbes and John Locke opined.
In my oft-quoted saying by my foreign General friend in 2008, he said, “When human beings know they can get away with murder because the law does not work, they will kill with impunity.
But, when they know they cannot get away with murder because they will also be killed since the law works, they will not commit murder.”
“Galamseyers” and Ghanaians will commit murder directly/indirectly because they believe that leadership/”misleadership”, as Kenyan Prof. PLO Lumumba calls it, and the duopoly party affiliations, before interest in the State/love of country, will protect them from the Law.
Every “big-man” from presidents, speakers, religious leaders to our revered kings/chiefs has spoken against “galamsey!”
So, why do we appear to be indulging in lip-service, and fighting a losing war?
Our leaders, please show some concern for the environment, for man shall not eat by gargantuan conspicuous consumption alone, but by utilitarian service to society.
Plastics must not be allowed to join “galamsey” to swallow us! I hope my Kenyan taxi driver’s shock and hope in 2017 and statement that he hoped Ghana would ban plastics soon will materialise 10 years belatedly in 2027 as stated by the authorities.
Leadership, lead by example, integrity, humility! Fellow Ghanaians, wake up!
The writer is a former CEO, African Peace Support Trainers Association, Nairobi, Kenya; Council Chairman, Family Health University, Teshie, Accra. E-mail:
