The Ghana Environmental Advocacy Group, an environmentally conscious nongovernmental organisation (NGO), has expressed dismay at the death of seven community members from Nkroful, Anwia and Telekubokazo in open pits left after illegal mining activities.

Mrs Elizabeth Allua Vaah, the Executive Director, Ghana Environmental Advocacy Group, said four of the deceased were from Nkroful, with two and one from Anwia and Telekubokazo, respectively.

The group during a press conference at New Bakanta in the Ellembelle District of the Western Region, displayed different kinds of water drawn from five river sources in the area to show the extent of pollution from illegal mining activities.

She said the sorry state of the rivers like the Ankobra, Birim, Broma, Butre, Offin, Pra, Subile, Tano, and White Volta, called for a united voice in advocating a halt in mining activities within reserve forest zones and in water bodies.

Mrs Vaah said destructive community mining, poorly regulated small-scale mining, digging for minerals in forest reserves and all forms of surface mining that had negative impact on the people must be urgently checked and stopped.

She blamed the current situation on the failure of the requisite state authorities and chiefs of those areas to act to prevent “poisoning” of the lands and rivers, which had lasting socio-economic, health and security implications on the people and their environment.

“Our cocoa production has reduced, and whatever little we have left will soon be tagged as contaminated with heavy metals, which should be an issue for serious national discourse,” she said.

Currently communities such as Aiyinasi Sendu, Adjei Obeng Krom, Anwia, Abelebo, Egila Eshiem, Banso, and Dadieso faced great dangers of poisoning from polluted land and water bodies by foreign and Ghanaian mining companies alike, Mrs Vaah said.

“Today many of us in Egila (Dwira), Nzema, Aowin, Sefwi, Wassa, and Ashanti are drinking mercury and lead laden water, eating tubers, fruits and fishes that have been contaminated with poisonous heavy metals,” she said.

“The result being an increase in diseases associated with mercury, lead, arsenic, and cyanide poisoning.”

Some organised youth groups from surrounding communities also presented a strong-worded statement to show their disapproval of the destructive nature of unregulated mining activities on their lands.

Hydrological Environmental and Engineering Consulting Limited (HEE Consulting) has paid a courtesy call on Togbi Sri III, the Awoamefia of Anlo Dukor in the Volta Region, to dialogue on the development of the enclave.

The visit was to present a funding proposal to him in expression of the firm’s interest in investing in the coastal land reclamation and lagoon dredging projects in the Volta Region.

The project, which seeks to reclaim miles of land from the sea, construct a sea defense wall to protect the reclaimed land, and dredge the Keta Lagoon and its tributaries of silt for enhanced water life, will cover a vast area of approximately 1,800 kilometre square.

It is expected to centre on the Keta Lagoon, while extending from Fuveme through Dzita, Woe, Keta, Kedzi, Blekusu to Aflao along the Gulf of Guinea coastline.

The project will employ dredging and land reclamation techniques to combat the effects of sea and lagoon inundation.

At the end, it seeks to address the recurring humanitarian crisis in all three coastal districts of the region; Ketu South, Keta and Anloga, which suffered severe sea and inland erosion annually, resulting in economic hardship of residents.

The project, combining humanitarian concerns with commercial opportunities, aims to transform the living conditions of thousands of inhabitants through engineering innovation and sustainable development practices.

Mr Amorin Benito Baby, Businessman and team lead, HEE Consulting, said though the project’s area of coverage looked vast, it would be very easy and possible if all stakeholders would embrace the idea and get on board, assuring of its economic benefits.

“These interventions are designed to restore ecological balance, enhance livelihoods, and unlock the vast economic potential of the area through tourism, agriculture, and industry.”

Mr Dan Abodakpi, the Awoamezitor of Anlo, interacting with the Ghana News Agency, said they were ready and willing to welcome any project with the prospects of solving the major problem threatening the livelihood and existence of Volta’s coast.

“For us, we are much interested in finding solutions to the problems affecting our people. So far as the terms of funding, feasibility, environmental, social impact assessments, and other factors are transparent enough and favour us, we are committed to it.”

Mr Richard Kwame Sefe, Member of Parliament (MP) for Anlo, pledged his support to the project, saying: “As a servant of the people, we (MPs in the area) promise to offer any form of political support needed from central government for this project to come off. Our people have been suffering for far too long.”

The team of investors from the Republic of Togo and Benin, led by Mr Amorin and Mr De-Souza E.K. Bigboy, had Mr Bella-Samuel Davordzi as consultant, with members including Olympio Abraham Victor, Fiawoo Ceaser, Gaba Ayitey Kordzo, Homawoo Koku Edem and Joshua Papavi Kwesivi.

Present at the dialogue were Awadada Togbi Agbeshie Awusu II, Revened Banini, and Mr Kofi Humado, former MP for Anlo, Mr Joel Degue, Development and Tourism expert, Mr Jonathan Azasu, Dr Samuel Dotse, Climate Change Advocate and Environmentalist among others who are members of the Anlo Development Forum.

The team presented an executive summary document on the project to the Anlo Dukor Council.

It would be expected to visit all project sites from Fuveme to Aflao after which there would be community engagements for pre-project preparations.

The Reverend Mrs Alice Blunya Ankutse, the Ho Fiave Parish Pastor, Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana, Saturday said customary marriage is the bedrock of all marriages and must be revered.

“Customary marriage is not engagement as we are made to believe but the real marriage,” she said, and advised all to respect it.

Rev. Mrs. Ankutse said this in a paper she presented on marriage at a three-day retreat of the Ho East Presbytery Catechists Union at Awudome Tsito in the Ho West District of the Volta Region.

She stated that though the law had no hand in it, without it ordinance marriage could not be celebrated.

She entreated her colleagues not to officiate any ordinance marriage if the traditional marriage was not performed.

Rev. Mrs. Ankutse reminded the Catechists that an ordinance marriage celebrated by a Minister of the gospel, who was not gazetted, would not be recognized under the law.

Similarly, an ordinance marriage could not be celebrated in chapels not registered under the law.

“Ordinance marriages contracted at all places rather than those licensed by the state are invalid,” she stated.

“According to the Act, ordinance marriages are not permitted to be celebrated on Sundays and public holidays.”

She said Pastors who were not gazetted or celebrated marriages in unregistered premises could be jailed for not less than seven years.

Rev. Mrs. Ankutse advised would-be couples to follow due process in their ordinance marriages so as to avoid any legal embarrassment after the marriage.

She entreated the Catechists as administrators of their chapels to liaise with the leadership of their various congregations to register the chapels to qualify for the celebration of marriages.

The retreat was on the theme: “Care for God’s Creation, The Role of the Church.”