Rev Fr James Gyekye Danso
Rev. Fr. James Gyekye Danso, Assistant Priest at St. Bahkita Catholic Church in Sakumono, has called on Ghanaians to rise with courage against the menace of illegal mining (galamsey), warning that its devastating effects will eventually affect every Ghanaian, including those living far from mining communities.
Delivering his homily on Sunday, 17th August, Fr. Danso stressed that galamsey is not a distant problem confined to rural communities but a national crisis with far-reaching consequences. He cautioned that if illegal mining continues unchecked, Ghanaians will face widespread environmental destruction, water pollution, and food insecurity.
“A time will come when you open your tap and only dirty water will flow,” he said. “A time will come when cassava to pound fufu will no longer be available because all the farmlands would have been destroyed. Even the fish we eat will disappear from our rivers.”
Fr. Danso urged Christians to reject societal pressure to remain silent in the face of wrongdoing and instead stand up boldly to defend truth and justice. He warned that fear of public opinion is enabling destructive practices like galamsey to persist.
“The world is in need of bold men and women, Christians who stand up and speak the truth. Our country is looking for such people,” he emphasized.
He added that just as biblical figures like Esther, Moses, Daniel, and Jeremiah showed courage to save nations in their time, individual acts of bravery could spark national transformation in Ghana.
“Your courage can save the whole nation,” he said, urging the faithful to resist indifference and speak out against galamsey and other threats to national wellbeing.
Listen to Rev. Fr. James Gyekye Danso in the attached audio:
