News
Surge in cost of water treatment …due to ‘galamsey’ activities
Amidu Musah
The cost of water treatment and production has shot up lately due to the impact of ‘galamsey’ activities on Ghana’s water bodies, the Tema Regional Chief Manager of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), Amidu Musah, has hinted.
According to him, the cost of chemicals for treating water has gone up because the GWCL is forced to use more expensive and potent chemicals like Polymer instead of Alum to treat the raw water.
This, he said, was as a result of the impact of illegal mining activities around the water bodies.
The activities of these ‘galamseyers’, he noted have become rampant and was of the view that if nothing was done about it, water would soon become a very expensive commodity.
MrMusah made the disclosure last Friday in Tema on the observation of World Water Day.
The event was held in Tema by the Tema Regional Office for the GWCL, having in attendance school children who were schooled on the need to preserve the country’s water bodies.
It was under the theme ‘leveraging water for peace’.
Addressing the participants at the event, MrMusah, admitted that ‘galamsey’ and sand winning operations have negatively have an impact on freshwater resources.
“The final consumer, which includes you and me as well as our industry, is ultimately affected by the activities of these miners because it has consequences on our health and finances,” he disclosed.
According to him, it was important for the respective bodies to come out with pragmatic and collaborative measures, and actions on a variety of fronts to maintain or improve the quality of water from the sources.
“The purpose of World Water Day is to inspire action. We are all now accountable for this. On this day, let us all promise to contribute to the solution. Let’s raise awareness on the value of water conservation among ourselves and others,” he said.
The Regional Chief Manager called for support to assist groups devoted to sustainable water management by using the power of collaboration of everyone to help improve the situation.
He also called for a more responsible use of water for both domestic and commercial activities and prompt payment of water bills to help the GWCL to continue to serve their clients, noting that life will definitely be more difficult if the public cannot get access to potable water in the home.
Sharing her thoughts about the event, a 16-year-old pupil, Edem Caroline Gorvina expressed worry about the health and future of Ghanaian children because in her view, there appears to be no end in sight for the destruction of the country’s water bodies through ‘galamsey’ activities.
The young pupil who is the Girls’ Prefect of the Republic Road Junior High School (JHS) said she was convinced that much work has not been done to protect the water bodies in the various communities where ‘galamsey’ is prevalent.
“We must stop them from destroying our water bodies,” she said without mincing words as she expressed fear that the country might soon find itself in a situation where there would not be safe water for the citizenry.
The final year student said it was worrying that there was a lot of information on the illegal activities of miners but very little was being done to curb the practice.
“Seriously, I feel we are losing the war on ‘galamsey’, that is, if we have not lost already. It appears we have become helpless and have given up on these people endangering our future,” she added.
The event brought together pupils from some schools from the Tema Metropolis namely the Pentecost School, Mante-Din School and the Republic Road School.
From Dzifa Tetteh Tay, Tema
News
Abu Trica’s extradition case: Prophets, fetish priests demand pay for spiritual solution …Lawyer reveals
Mr Oliver Barker-Vormawor, a lawyer for embattled Frederick Kumi, affectionately called Abu Trica and has made a shocking revelation over the behaviour of some members of the clergy.
According to him in a post on social media, the difficult part of Abu Trica’s trial is not the law but the number of ‘Men of God’ and fetish priests demanding financial sacrifices to help resolve the matter spiritually.
Oliver Barker-Vormawor posted on Tuesday, April 22, 2026, “The most difficult part about the Abu Trica case; is not the law.”
He continued: “It is the number of, prophetesses, evangelists and fetish priests, who have called or messaged to ask us to pay for spiritual solutions.”
It would be recalled that in March this year, the Gbese District Court dismissed a preliminary objection filed by Abu Trica, challenging the extradition proceedings initiated at the request of the United States.
The court, presided over by Anna Akosua Appiah Gottfried Anaafi Gyasi, in its ruling held that the offences forming the basis of the extradition, particularly wire fraud, constitute extraditable offences under the 1931 treaty between Ghana and the United States.
He was then given 15 days counting from March 27 to appeal the decision of the court or be surrendered for extradition to the US.
Against this backdrop, he was on Tuesday, April 22, granted a bail in the sum of GH¢30,000,000 by an Accra High, pending the appeal of his extradition
Mr Kumi was arrested in Ghana in December 2025 following an indictment by United States authorities, alleging that he played a role in a romance scam network that defrauded elderly American victims of more than $8 million.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
News
From panic to pass: how parents, teachers can help children beat BECE, WASSCE exam phobia- Part 1
Walk through any Junior High or Senior High compound in Ghana as BECE or WASSCE approaches and you will see it.
A bright girl suddenly quiet. A boy who led class debates now sleeping at his desk. A Form three student with stomach pains every Monday morning.
This is not laziness. This is academic stress. When left unaddressed, it hardens into exam phobia-overwhelming dread that pushes children into burnout, avoidance, and sometimes silence.
As a mental health professional who sits with these children and their parents at Counselor Prince & Associates Consult (CPAC) in Adenta Oyarifa-Teiman, I see the pattern clearly.
Research confirms it. Putwain and Daly (2014) found that high test anxiety predicts lower grades independent of ability. Zeidner (1998) showed that chronic academic pressure raises cortisol, weakens memory recall, and increases school dropout risk. The brain under fear cannot retrieve what it studied.
Understanding the storm: What academic stress really looks like
Exam phobia is not just “being nervous.” It shows up as headaches before mocks, sudden anger when books are mentioned, night-time insomnia, or perfectionism that ends in blank scripts.
Some children over-study until 2 a.m. and forget everything by 9 a.m. Others avoid books completely, scrolling phones instead. Both are distress signals. Dr Kenneth Ginsburg, a paediatrician specialising in adolescent resilience, notes: “Stress is not the enemy; feeling alone with stress is.” Too many Ghanaian children feel alone with it.
The home front: How parents and couples become safe havens, not extra pressure
The first antidote is at home. Structure beats shouting. Set a predictable study slot-same time, same place, with water and a light snack. Then protect sleep like you protect school fees. A tired brain fails faster than an unprepared one. Use the “15-minute start rule”: “Just sit for 15 minutes. If you still can’t, we close and try after a walk.” Often, starting is the hardest part.
Couples must watch their language. “Don’t disgrace us” plants fear. Replace it with “We see your effort. What part feels hardest today?” Praise process, not only position: “You revised three topics and asked for help—that is maturity.” Research by Dweck (2006) confirms that process praise builds resilience while outcome praise increases anxiety.
For caregivers, check your own anxiety. Children borrow our nervous system. If BECE makes you panic, they will panic. One parent grounds—keeps meals, prayer, and bedtime steady. The other pivots—talks to teachers, adjusts timetables, arranges counselling. Both protect rest. An empty cup cannot pour calm.
Resources
– Counsellor Prince & Associates Consult (CPAC): Award-winning Clinical Mental Health and Counselling Facility, accredited by the Ghana Psychology Council.
– School-Based Support: Speak to Guidance & Counselling units, or licensed school counsellors. E.g. Counsellor Blessing Offei – 0559850604 (School Counsellor).
– Contact CPAC for Parent Coaching/Counselling & Student Therapy: 055 985 0604 / 055 142 8486
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