UEW Chancellor demands stronger action against illegal mining after Ayensu River pollution
The Chancellor of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), Neenyi Ghartey VII, has renewed his call for stronger action against illegal miners whose activities have heavily polluted the Ayensu River, the main water source for the Agona Kwanyarko treatment plant. The pollution has triggered water shortages across several parts of the Central Region. Neenyi Ghartey VII made the appeal during UEW’s 30th Graduation Ceremony, where 8,288 students graduated across diploma, undergraduate, and postgraduate programmes. He said the once-clear Ayensu River—used for drinking, cooking, and irrigation—has turned “milky, toxic, and contaminated with mercury and cyanide” because of ongoing illegal mining. He also condemned recent attacks on security personnel by illegal miners, calling the trend alarming and unacceptable. The Chancellor urged the government to equip the National Anti-Illegal Mining Taskforce (NAIMOS) with modern tools and technology to strengthen the national fight against […]