Afriyie (L), his team and Ghana Gas boss (3rd L)
Former Ghana Football Association (GFA) Vice President, George Afriyie, has lead a team of Japanese scientists – Atsushi Umeda, president, Trendy Science Company Limited and Tomihisha Ohta, (Ph.D), Professor Emeritus, Kanazawa University, in the fight to clean galamsey polluted rivers in the country.
The duo are currently in Ghana after conducting a research on the country’s polluted water bodies.
And at their courtesy call on Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia recently, they pointed out that they have the technology to clean the affected rivers, having conducted a thorough research.
The Vice President expressed happiness about the initiative and pledged that government would rally behind them in their quest to restore the water bodies to its original state.
In 2017 and 2018, a Japan-based Ghanaian scholar, Professor Kwasi Kyei Amoabeng, met with President Akufo-Addo in Tokyo and briefed him on the water pollution caused by galamsey after sending a report to Japan for research.
Consequently, the President gave him a listening ear and instructed him to go ahead with the initiative, and come out with findings.
But, the initiative was suspended midway, which prompted Ghanaian business man and former GFA Vice President and his associate David Boateng to lead the Japanese team to visit Ghana for the first time.
Already, the team have met with the Minister of Water Resources, Cecilia Dapaah, Ghana Gas CEO, Dr. Ben Asante, whose outfit was a victim of galamsey activity which affected some of their laid pipes.
The team has also met with the head of Noguchi Memorial Institute, Professor Dorothy Kyerewah Yeboah-Manu, Director, NMIMR, Deputy Director, Chief Research Scientist, Water Research Institute, CSIR-WRI, Dr. Anthony Yaw Karikari and other stakeholders.
The team also visited places like Ada Volta Lake, Birim River, River Pra and other sites.
They are expected to return to Ghana soon to begin work on the affected water bodies.