Ghana’s rivers are choking — not from natural causes, but from the relentless, illegal mining that has turned once-crystal-clear streams into toxic sludge.
While many have spoken softly about the issue, Professor Nana Ama Browne Klutse, the Acting CEO of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has chosen to speak with fire.
In a no-holds-barred interview on UTV on Monday, June 2, 2025, she made it clear: the EPA is ready to fight — if only it’s equipped like a force going to war.
Here are seven bold declarations she made that have set tongues wagging and hope rising.
- “Give me 5 helicopters, some guns, and 2 weeks — I’ll clear the water bodies.”
That was no metaphor. Prof. Klutse didn’t mince her words. She boldly claimed that with just five helicopters, a few firearms, and two weeks, she could rid Ghana’s water bodies of illegal miners.
“I will clear them all. I just need the resources,” she declared confidently.
- The EPA wants to go to war — but it’s unarmed
She compared the fight against galamsey to war, questioning why it’s not treated with the seriousness of one.
“Galamsey has been declared a war. So why are we not approaching it as such?” she asked.
The EPA, she lamented, is expected to police armed miners with no weapons or serious logistical support.
- Forest and EPA officers are facing danger without protection
Prof. Klutse pointed out that EPA and Forestry Commission personnel, who are tasked with monitoring mining zones, are dangerously under-equipped.
“They go in without arms, while galamseyers are fully armed. It’s a risk we shouldn’t be exposing them to,” she said.
- Military support is expensive — and unsustainable
Every operation to curb illegal mining requires military and National Security presence — but this comes at a hefty cost.
“How many times can we afford to pay for that kind of protection?” she asked rhetorically.
- Our rivers are 90% contaminated — and we’re running out of time
Prof. Klutse warned that most of Ghana’s water bodies are dangerously polluted — estimating a staggering 90% contamination level.
“We can’t afford to sit back. This is a crisis,” she emphasized.
- A comprehensive national plan is the only way forward
She called for a long-term, well-funded strategy that moves beyond fragmented efforts.
“We need a national plan — one that recognizes galamsey as a threat to our survival, not just our environment.”
- With resources, we can win this fight — and restore Ghana’s waters
Prof. Klutse’s vision is simple yet ambitious: fully resourced, militarized operations led by the EPA to reclaim the country’s water bodies.
“My dream is to clean our rivers. If we approach this decisively, we can turn things around.”
