John Kingsley Krugu, the Executive Director of Ghana's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),
John Kingsley Krugu, the Executive Director of Ghana’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is standing his ground despite calls for his resignation over the galamsey (illegal mining) disaster wrecking the country’s rivers and land. Appearing before Parliament’s Committee on Government Assurance on Thursday, October 10, Krugu boldly declared that stepping down won’t solve the crisis.
Pressed by the Committee Chairman on whether he should quit given the EPA’s failure to tackle the environmental damage caused by galamsey, Krugu fired back, saying his departure wouldn’t change anything. “If resigning would magically fix these [environmental] issues, I’d have done it yesterday,” he said, adding that real leadership is about staying put and confronting problems head-on.
The EPA boss insisted that quitting would only set back the fight against galamsey. “If I leave now, someone new would come in, and it would take them time just to catch up on the progress we’ve already made,” he explained, brushing off suggestions that his resignation might spur action. “Leadership is about fighting through the challenges, not running away.”
Krugu also highlighted efforts under his tenure, boasting that the EPA has nearly doubled its staff, growing from 400 to 700 in less than two years. “I’m not throwing my hands in the air; I’m here to improve the system, not abandon it,” he said defiantly.
He emphasized that strengthening the EPA and ensuring it has the resources and authority it needs is the real solution to the environmental crisis. “It’s not just the EPA’s problem; other agencies with overlapping duties need to step up and work together,” he added.
Krugu was quick to shift some blame, pointing out that the biggest obstacles to ending galamsey lie beyond the EPA’s control, particularly when it comes to law enforcement. He urged Parliament and other stakeholders to give the EPA more backing, revealing that there’s already a request before the government to expand the agency’s presence to every district in Ghana.
The hearing, chaired by MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, put the EPA and the Minerals Commission in the hot seat over the destruction illegal mining has caused to the nation’s water bodies. Samples presented to the Committee, drawn from various rivers, showcased the grim reality—aside from Volta Lake, every river tested showed severe pollution, highlighting the scale of the environmental disaster.
Despite the pressure, Krugu remains resolute, insisting he’s the man to lead the EPA through the crisis, not walk away from it.
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