Owiredu Says Free Zones CEO Should Have Been Fired Over Pentecost Row

Abirem MP Charles Owiredu has intensified the public backlash against Ghana Free Zones Authority Chief Executive Officer Dr. Mary Awusi, saying her comments about the Chairman of the Church of Pentecost, Apostle Dr. Eric Nyamekye, were serious enough to cost her the job.

Owiredu made the remarks on JoyNews' Newsfile on Saturday, April 25, during a discussion on illegal mining, known locally as galamsey. The conversation followed Apostle Nyamekye's warning that polluted rivers are now affecting both community life and religious practice in mining-hit areas.

The Church of Pentecost Chairman had said the destruction of water bodies was making it increasingly difficult for some churches to conduct baptism by immersion. Dr. Awusi responded by asking him to remain within the bounds of clergy work, warning that he would be treated as a politician if he continued in that direction. She later apologised after strong public criticism.

Owiredu says apology was not enough

Owiredu rejected the criticism directed at Apostle Nyamekye and said the church leader had raised a legitimate concern about the impact of galamsey on rivers and community life.

"What did revered Apostle Eric Nyamekye say wrong? He's been very consistent on this matter," Owiredu said.

According to him, the Church of Pentecost's emphasis on baptism by immersion is not a political argument but a long-held religious position rooted in scripture. He cited the baptism of the Ethiopian official by Philip in Acts 8:26 to 40, and the baptism of Jesus Christ by John the Baptist in the River Jordan, as examples supporting the church's practice.

He said Apostle Nyamekye's point was simple: if rivers are unsafe for drinking, communities and churches cannot reasonably be expected to use them for baptism.

"Now it's becoming difficult because nobody would want to even drink these rivers, let alone be baptised in them," he said.

The Abirem MP described Dr. Awusi's response as disrespectful and said the subsequent apology did not meet the seriousness of the matter. He argued that the President should already have removed her from office.

"I thought that even by now, the president would have fired her," Owiredu said, describing the apology as "an infantile apology."

Galamsey pressure hits farms and water bodies

Beyond the argument over the Free Zones CEO's comments, Owiredu used the discussion to highlight the economic pressure facing farmers in mining communities, including his own constituency. He said Abirem is an area where cocoa and oil palm farming are important, yet residents are being pulled toward illegal mining because of immediate financial pressure.

He explained that cocoa farming requires patience, with farmers waiting about five years before meaningful returns. In contrast, a miner offering cash for farmland can present a tempting option to farmers facing delayed payments, falling income, or urgent household needs.

"You plant cocoa, and it takes about five years. If somebody comes today and offers you money to use your land for gold, why wouldn't you do it?" he asked.

Owiredu said oil palm farmers are also vulnerable to the same pressure because illegal mining offers quick money while agriculture often demands long waiting periods. He warned that Ghana is "sitting on a time bomb" if farmland and water bodies continue to be destroyed without firm enforcement.

His comments add to growing concerns that the galamsey crisis is no longer limited to environmental damage. It is also threatening food production, rural incomes, public health, and religious life in communities where rivers once served domestic, agricultural, and cultural purposes.

Health risks no longer stay in mining communities

Owiredu also pushed back against the view that residents in Accra and other urban centres can escape the impact of polluted rivers by relying on bottled water. He said contaminated water enters the broader food chain through cooked meals, vegetables, and produce transported from affected areas.

"We sit in Accra thinking we can afford bottled water. But the food we buy, waakye, koko, gobɛ, is prepared with this same water," he said.

He added that vegetables sold to the public may also be exposed to contaminated water, pointing to concerns raised by medical experts and researchers. For him, the damage caused by galamsey is national in scale because polluted water and contaminated food do not respect constituency boundaries.

The MP further criticised what he sees as weak accountability in the fight against illegal mining. He said public officials had previously indicated that they knew people involved in the activity, and that the Attorney General had mentioned names, but meaningful action had still not followed.

Owiredu also recalled earlier warnings by private legal practitioner Kwame Akuffo that Ghana could face a severe water crisis if the country fails to protect its rivers. He said the warning should not be treated lightly, especially as more water bodies become unsafe for domestic and religious use.

"It's going to get to a time where water will be like gold. People will come to our homes and demand the water we are drinking. We need to sit up," he said.

The controversy around Dr. Awusi's comments has therefore widened into a larger national conversation about how Ghana responds to galamsey, how public officials engage religious leaders who speak on social issues, and whether the state is prepared to match public concern with visible enforcement.