Dr Mary Awusi, CEO of the Ghana Free Zones Authority and a senior National Democratic Congress (NDC) figure, has warned Apostle Dr Eric Nyamekye, Chairman of the Church of Pentecost, over his comments on illegal mining (galamsey), insisting he should cease making such remarks, while threatening to “deal with him” if he repeats them.
Speaking in an interview on Accra FM on April 23, 2026, Dr Mary Awusi said the Apostle’s comments on galamsey were made from a political lens rather than a neutral standpoint.
She stated that although she would overlook his remarks this time because he is a man of God, she would not hesitate to respond differently if he repeats them.
“He is a man of God, so we will forgive him, but next time he shouldn’t come so low to that level. Next time, when he stoops so low and tries to do politics, they will deal with him as a politician. I’ve shown him respect this time as a man of God, but he should know that the statement he made is a highly political statement,” she said.
The CEO of the Free Zones Authority further questioned the consistency of criticisms about galamsey across different political administrations, asking whether the pastor was present during earlier periods of severe water pollution under Akufo-Addo’s government.
“When Nana Addo was President, if you went to the mining communities, the rivers were like mud. At that time, was he in Ghana or wasn’t he in Ghana? Did he see that or did he not see how the rivers were then?” she asked.
She added that under the current Mahama administration, measures have been put in place that have improved the state of water bodies compared to the past, and insisted that such progress cannot be ignored.
Dr Awusi also stressed that as a religious leader, Apostle Nyamekye should speak based on facts rather than political interpretation, warning that repeated comments of that nature would be treated differently.
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“So as a pastor, if the truth is there and you wouldn’t say it, and instead put aside your pastoral duties and put on a political lens to talk, then next time we will treat him as a politician,” she added.
Meanwhile, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, in his State of the Church Address at the 48th General Conference on April 22, 2026, raised concerns about the persistent destruction of Ghana’s water bodies due to illegal mining.
He noted that the pollution of rivers and streams is now affecting key church activities, including water baptism in some mining communities.
“The extensive pollution of water bodies due to illegal mining has hampered traditional water baptism in some mining communities, necessitating a shift to synthetic rubber pools in several districts to carry out the ordinance,” he stated.
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