Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, on the 116th birthday celebration of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, has raised an alarm on the harmful effects of galamsey (small-scale illegal mining).
He condemned the activities of small-scale illegal miners, saying they formed a small group of people who are destroying the land, forest reserves and river bodies through illegal mining activities at the expense of the majority.
Armah-Kofi Buah, who is the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Ellembelle Constituency, was speaking at a grand durbar to commemorate the Kwame Nkrumah Festival (Nkrumahfest 2025) at Nkroful, in the Ellembelle District of the Western Region, the birthplace of the Osagyefo.
Dubbed “Journey to Nkroful: Unite, Celebrate and Enjoy”, the annual celebration marked the enduring legacies of the first President and Prime Minister of Ghana and African liberator.
Buah said a journey to Nkroful reminds Ghanaians to join in the fight against illegal mining activities, which had been described as environmental terrorism.
“The River Ankobra is polluted just because only a few people can be rich at the expense of others,” he said.
The minister reminded the people that the Ghana Water Company treatment plants had been shut down in some Regions, saying that was a call to action from all.
He, therefore, urged Ghanaians to defend the environment with strong courage.
Buah said a journey to Nkroful reminds Ghanaians of Dr Kwame Nkrumah’s visionary building blocks of modern foundation to make Ghana, the shining star of Africa.
He said: “Dr Nkrumah’s projects were not for the next election but for the next century.”
He thanked President John Dramani Mahama for honouring his pledge to restore Founder’s Day and make it a national holiday.
A lawyer and historian, Anokye Frimpong, in a keynote address, said if God would give Ghana another Kwame Nkrumah, it should come from the Nzema area, adding that Kwame Nkrumah symbolised African unity, peace and progress.
He paid glowing tribute to some African forebears such as Anthony Armoo and Alex Quayson Sackey.
He said Dr Kwame Nkrumah made a very significant impact, earning the accolade “the Blackstar as the only African who did what white people were doing. ”
Frimpong said black African civilisation had been experienced long ago, adding that Dr Kwame Nkrumah gave Africa its geographical location.
Abla Gzifa GomashIe, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts said the government had adopted Nkrumahfest as a national celebration on the calendar, adding that the attempt to change the calendar in the past must not happen.
She said Ghana must position itself as the country to lead other countries in Pan-Africanism.
Samia Yaaba Nkrumah, daughter of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah and former MP for Jomoro, thanked Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah for bringing the Nkrumah family together to celebrate him.
She also thanked President John Dramani Mahama and the government of Ghana for reinstating the Founder’s Day.
Madam Nkrumah said the family and his followers must not be afraid to uphold Dr Kwame Nkrumah’s vision and tell his story because his story is a success.
“Ghana’s success story must be freedom, unity, industrialisation using our technology and African expertise to build our industry and infrastructure,” she said.
Joseph Nelson, the Western Regional Minister, said the celebration reminds Ghanaians to commit themselves to the unfinished task in nation building to actualise Dr Nkrumah’s vision for future generations.
He said President Mahama re-echoes Dr Kwame Nkrumah’s call for a United Africa, peace and security.
Dr Frank Amoakohene, Ashanti Regional Minister, said Dr Kwame Nkrumah stood for courage and selfless leadership.
He asked leaders to “embrace responsibilities and reject corruption, divisiveness, unite beyond our internal differences to put the country on another trajectory of peace, unity and development. ”
Alhaji Yusif Suleymana, Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, who led a cultural troupe from the Yagbowura in Yendi to perform at the function, said Dr Kwame Nkrumah gave many opportunities to people in Northern Ghana, many of whom have served in the governance of Ghana, including President John Dramani Mahama.
He said Northern Ghana appreciates the sterling and unique role Dr Kwame Nkrumah played in the development of Ghana and the African liberation struggle.
Nana Kwesi Kutua, Chief of Nkroful, said the Ellembelle District was one of the richest in Ghana, but without a District hospital.
He renewed his appeal to President Mahama last year to build a befitting District hospital at Nkroful.
Nana Kutua also asked for a University in Nkroful to train human capital to be employed in the emerging Petroleum Hub Development Project in Jomoro.
He expressed gratitude to the government for renovating the Kwame Nkrumah Museum at Nkroful, adding that the government could do better for the standard of Accra.
Nana Kobina Nketiah, Omanhene of Essikado and President, Western Regional House of Chiefs, who chaired the occasion, appealed to political parties to bury their differences and forge ahead in unity.
He said Kwame Nkrumah was a selfless leader who believed in the economic freedom of the people.
Nana Nketiah said, “There can never be freedom if you are selfish.”
“You cannot have freedom and rely on someone else for your security. You can only have freedom when you can secure yourself, and security lies in your hands”.
