Sand Winning Activities Now Threatening Volta Lake • Annoh-Dompreh Raises Alarm

The Minority Chief Whip and Member of Parliament for Nsawam-Adoagyiri, Hon. Frank Annoh-Dompreh, has raised serious concerns over the increasing threat of illegal and unregulated sand winning activities, revealing that parts of the Volta Lake, Ghana’s largest inland water body, have now become targets for sand extraction.

Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Tuesday, July 1, 2025, in response to a statement made by the Hon. Member of Parliament for Ayensuano, Ida Adjoa Asiedu, Frank Annoh-Dompreh commended the Speaker of Parliament for graciously admitting the statement and praised his colleague MP for shedding light on the scale of the environmental crisis being caused by sand winning across the country.

Frank Annoh-Dompreh, who chaired a Parliamentary Ad Hoc Committee on Sand Winning during the 8th Parliament, recounted the committee’s findings which revealed widespread and disturbing trends in illegal sand mining across the nation, including in the Volta Lake.

He described the revelation as “deeply worrying,” noting that the presence of sand miners in the Volta Lake presents serious ecological and economic threats to the nation.

“The Volta Lake is not just a national asset; it is critical to our energy security, inland water transport, agriculture, and fishing industries,” he stated.

“The discovery that sand winning is taking place within this important natural resource must compel us to act with urgency.”

The MP also drew attention to similar irresponsible mining practices observed in parts of the Eastern Region and other rural communities, where farmlands are being degraded and natural landscapes destroyed with little or no regulation.

Coordination and Enforcement Still a Major Gap

Frank Annoh-Dompreh further stressed that Ghana’s current regulatory framework — though well-established through agencies such as the Minerals Commission, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the MMDAs — lacks proper coordination and is hampered by serious logistical and financial constraints.

“While we must hold institutions accountable, it is important to acknowledge the limited capacity of the EPA, which does not have offices in every district,” he explained.

“The EPA cannot be blamed alone. The issue lies with the overall enforcement architecture and our failure to adequately resource the relevant agencies.”

He called for improved inter-agency collaboration and a national strategy to combat the menace of sand winning, stating that the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources must take a lead role in bringing together the fragmented regulatory efforts.

A Call to National Duty

The Minority Chief Whip ended his submission with a passionate call to action:

“This matter transcends party lines. It is a national emergency. We need a coordinated response from all levels of government, traditional authorities, the private sector, and civil society to preserve our land and water resources for future generations.”