The Chairman of the Constitutional Review Committee (CRC), Professor Henry Kwesi Prempeh, has called on the government to recover assets from illegal mining kingpins to fund environmental restoration, instead of relying on taxpayers.
His comments come in response to claims attributed to Professor Nana Ama Browne Klutse, Chief Executive Officer of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), by Joy News that restoring the heavily polluted Birim River using nano-liquid technology could cost about $35 million.
How much it will cost to restore ‘galamsey-polluted’ Birim River – EPA discloses
Reacting to the development on February 24, 2026, Prof. Prempeh argued that the country risks compounding environmental injustice if citizens are made to bear the financial burden of damage caused by illegal mining operators.
“I would hate for my taxes to fund any of this, when we are making no credible effort to arrest and prosecute galamsey kingpins and operators, enact and enforce new laws targeting their assets for forfeiture and recovery, and use the proceeds to fund ecological restoration,” he posted on Facebook.
“We cannot lose so much of our ecology to galamsey, then turn around and use our scarce tax resources to fix the damage,” he stated.
Professor Prempeh stressed that the principle of accountability must guide the country’s response to environmental destruction, insisting that those who profit from illegal mining should finance the restoration of affected ecosystems.
“The damage from galamsey must be repaired from assets and funds recovered from those who profit from it. The ‘polluter pays principle’ must be applied here,” he argued.
According to him, any credible national response must prioritise arresting and prosecuting illegal mining operators, as well as targeting their assets for forfeiture and recovery.
“Government shouldn’t tax innocent citizens to repair the damage from galamsey, when the criminal beneficiaries and their networks that have caused and profited from such untold damage are left to walk away with their loot in plain sight,” he fumed.
On February 24, 2026, the EPA conducted a simulation exercise on the Birim River, deploying a new Ionic Nano Copper-based technology to restore water bodies destroyed by illegal mining.
The agency explained that the Ionic Nano Copper Technology is an organically formulated nano-liquid applied directly to the surface of polluted rivers to aid restoration.
According to the EPA, the substance interacts with the water for about 45 minutes.
During that period, nanoparticles bind to heavy metals and suspended particles, causing contaminants to settle with sand at the riverbed while clearer water begins to flow on the surface.
EPA tryouts ionic nano copper technology on polluted Birim River
The technology is currently at the pilot stage, with the EPA seeking an estimated $200,000 to support expanded testing and implementation.
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Source:
www.ghanaweb.com
