The Aduana Ablade family head of Kwanyako in the Central Region has called for ruthless measures against illegal miners, blaming them for the acute water shortage that has left thousands of residents without safe drinking water.
The Kwanyako Water Treatment Plant, which supplies about 13 districts in the region, has completely shut down.
The plant, which previously produced around 25,000 cubic meters of water daily, is now producing none due to the destruction of its intake pumps caused by heavy silting of the Ayensu River from illegal mining activities.
As a result, residents are relying on unsafe water sources.
The Chief, Emmanuel Kwabena Mensah Amoah of the Aduana Ablade family of Kwanyako, said government efforts so far have not been deterrent enough. He urged President Mahama to take drastic action to halt the destruction of critical water sources.
“My suggestion is only one, because as for me, I’m a revolutionist and I’m a nationalist. This democracy is what is causing all these problems. If I were to be the head of state or the government, I would use the gun. I will use the military. I have the police. I have all the security services.
“So, persuading them, and they won’t resort to anything positive, I will use the gun. Killing about one, two, three, four people, they will stop. I don’t believe in killing people, but this one, we have to do something of that sort. People must die. We have to sacrifice people to stop this menace, because it’s in the whole Ghana. It will reach a time when you won’t even get water to drink.
“So, ‘shoot to kill’ must come. I support it. So, John Mahama, please, I am begging him. He is good. He’s okay. He’s fine, but his heart, I am begging him, he should bring it up small,” he said.
The water crisis is also disrupting education in Kwanyako. Pupils and teachers are often forced to spend valuable class hours searching for water.
A teacher at one of the local basic schools, Collins Adu, described the situation as dire.
“In fact, it’s disastrous because we are not getting water at all. And if we need water, we depend on the river here. So we are pleading that something should be done about it. Actually, as you can see around, it’s not safe at all.
“In fact, the reporting time is supposed to be 7:15, and by 7:30, we are supposed to begin lessons. But you have to wait for the kids to come around, sometimes at 9:00. So it’s very challenging,” he said.
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