Dennis Miracles Aboagye, an aide to former Vice-President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has cited Water Quality Index (WQI) data from the Water Resources Commission (WRC) to argue that illegal mining, or galamsey, consistently worsens under National Democratic Congress (NDC) administrations.
Speaking during a visit to the Central Region, Mr. Aboagye presented what he described as “undeniable evidence” that the current NDC government has overseen an alarming deterioration in water quality, leading to severe humanitarian and environmental crises.
According to him, the WQI—a scientific framework that measures water health based on turbidity and four other indicators—offers the most reliable picture of the nation’s water resources. “The WQI, not turbidity alone, is the true measure of water quality,” he stressed.
Deterioration under NDC
Mr. Aboagye outlined trends from the WRC data to back his claims.
At the start of 2010, all 40 sampling sites across the country were classified as fairly good.
However, during the 2012–2016 period under the NDC, about 60–70% of these sites fell into the poor quality category.
He further accused the NDC government of destroying 25 of the 41 clean water systems in the Central Region.
Improvement under NPP
In contrast, during the 2017–2024 New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration, he said the WQI reportedly showed notable recovery.
He said the number of fairly good sites rose from 15 to 29, while poor quality sites reduced from 25 to 10.
Mr. Aboagye credited the NPP with restoring 14 of the previously destroyed water systems.
“The record of the NDC per the data is clear. Times have changed, and people are now ready to hear and understand the issues,” he said.
The Ayensu River crisis: Pollution in non-mining areas
Mr. Aboagye also highlighted the worsening plight of communities in Agona East District, a non-mining area in the Central Region. He drew attention to the Ayensu River, a vital water source flowing through Agona East and Agona West, which he claimed has suffered unprecedented pollution in the past eight months.
He said the river’s contamination has forced the shutdown of the Kwanyarko water treatment plant, cutting off the potable water supply to about 11 districts.
Residents, particularly women, are now compelled to fetch visibly polluted river water, boiling it for hours before use.
“Mankrong and Kwanyarko communities have never seen their river in this state. The irony is painful—people far removed from mining activities are bearing the brunt of galamsey from the Eastern Region,” he lamented.
Political accountability and accusations of hypocrisy
In a scathing critique, Mr. Aboagye accused the NDC government of hypocrisy and complicity.
He argued that the party campaigned in 2024 on the promise of tackling galamsey, only to preside over its worst expansion yet.
“This NDC government won the 2024 elections largely on the back of galamsey and the inability of the NPP to win the fight. I always insisted the NDC were enabling galamsey, which is why it became a difficult fight for the NPP. Today, the situation is worse; our water bodies have been invaded threefold, and it’s deteriorating at an alarming rate,” he declared.
He further alleged that prominent party figures are directly involved in illegal mining activities, accusing the government of buying gold from galamsey operators and merely recycling old, ineffective policies.
Call to action
While sharply criticising the NDC, Mr. Aboagye urged the government to “stop referencing the previous administration” and instead focus on delivering on the six specific promises it made regarding the fight against illegal mining.
“Galamsey remains a major challenge for this country, and the earlier this NDC government realises the times we are in and gets to work to fix the situation, the better. We are counting on the NDC government to change this,” he concluded.
By grounding his argument in WQI data compiled by the Water Resources Commission, Mr. Aboagye framed the fight against galamsey as a test of credibility and accountability—one that, he insists, the NDC has consistently failed.
