Member of Parliament for Twifo-Atii Morkwa, David T. D. Vondee, has described the destruction of the Nsuta section of the Western Railway Corridor by illegal miners as “pure murder,” condemning the environmental and infrastructural devastation caused by galamsey activities.
The abandoned Western Railway Corridor has been left at the mercy of illegal miners after a long time of halted manganese haulage from Nsuta to Takoradi.
Footage circulating online shows a three-kilometre stretch of the Takoradi–Akyem rail line completely destroyed, with officials estimating repair costs to exceed $18 million.
The miners are reported to be using a local technique known as “one leg”, which employs high-pressure water pumps and hoses to wash away the soil after excavation.
Speaking on Joy News on October 6, the MP expressed deep disappointment at the state of the country’s environment and infrastructure.
David Vondee cited a time when he hosted a foreigner in Ghana, and he was ashamed for him to see the state of the environment.
“It’s shameful to see things like that. And he asks you, why are you destroying your water bodies and you say you’re looking for gold. He says, but the United States has so much gold, but our rivers are not destroyed.”
He described the situation as a national tragedy.
“Look at what we are doing to this railway. This is pure murder.”
“And they don’t see it as a crime. This is murder, this is a crime against humanity, against our country,” he stressed.
Hon. Vondee attributed the persistence of illegal mining to political interference, saying some influential figures are protecting those involved in the activity.
He noted that while illegal mining predates the current administration, the situation worsened during President Akufo-Addo’s tenure.
“This trade didn’t start under Akufo-Addo, but it got intensified under him. In the eight years, intensive and extensive destruction of our water bodies, you cannot use eight to nine months to stop it.”
He went on to call for a shift in focus towards sustainable forms of mining that protect natural resources.
“We can still mine and not destroy our water bodies and our forests. There are types of mining. What I think we should concentrate on is the rock mining.”
The Western Railway Corridor once served as a key route for transporting manganese to the Takoradi Port.
