A statesman and retired military officer, Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe, has raised alarm over what he describes as growing health and environmental risks in Ghana, warning that suspected contamination may already be affecting newborns.
Speaking at a youth forum in Accra on April 28, 2026, he pointed to what he called “very frightening deformities” being recorded in hospitals, insisting that environmental risks linked to illegal mining can no longer be ignored.
“Almost all of us, what we consume definitely contain metal,” he said, arguing that the situation poses a direct threat to public health.
He criticised what he described as widespread silence among both citizens and authorities, calling for increased public outcry.
“If you are concerned as citizens, you should have come out to shout,” he said, warning that continued inaction could worsen the crisis.
Dr Nyaho-Tamakloe also questioned the lack of decisive intervention in the growing menace, suggesting that stronger enforcement measures may be required to tackle galamsey.
Referencing global standards, he argued that “if what is going on here now happens in America, it will be stopped immediately by the military… if it were to happen in China, they will use the same method.”
He further suggested that failure to act could point to vested interests, warning that “when you see that the ill is not being helped properly, then there is somebody gaining money out of it, at the expense of all of us, our lives.”
Also addressing the gathering, former Chief of Defence Staff, Brig. Gen. Joseph Nunoo-Mensah, attributed Ghana’s governance challenges to what he described as a culture of dishonesty among political leaders.
“What I’ve learned in my life is that we don’t know how to speak the truth,” he said, contrasting political leadership with the values of the military, where personnel are trained “to stand by the truth… to live by the truth, to die by the truth.”
Brigadier General Nunoo-Mensah said his disillusionment with politics stemmed from an inability to compromise on integrity.
“As I won’t be a politician, I won’t do it again… I couldn’t do it,” he said.
He criticised the political system for prioritising personal gain over national interest, warning that “how do we think we can make money to get power… this is the problem we are facing today.”
According to him, the country is “being short-changed,” with citizens bearing the consequences of poor leadership.
“They know they are hurting the country,” he added.
