I don't eat at chop bars again, the grasscutters now drink galamsey water - Alex Segbefia

A former Health Minister under the John Mahama administration, Mr. Alex Segbefia, has startlingly admitted he no longer eats at local restaurants in various parts of the nation.

He claimed that the foods can be polluted as a result of the destructive impacts of illegal mining, often known as "galamsey," which is carried out in such regions.

The former Deputy Chief of Staff under the Atta Mills government made the remarks on Onua TV during an exclusive interview with host Captain Smart.

Mr. Segbefia lamented how our surroundings and water bodies have utterly degraded, a trend that, he conceded, is supported by some avaricious political personalities in the nation.

According to him, this same threat from illicit mining has decimated the fishes in our rivers and the entire greenery that we used to enjoy when we visited rural communities.

"We know that some politicians are benefiting, and the rot to which it has deteriorated, big names are involved... and why is it important? why has it gone so bad? because now it's even costing us, our water bodies and environment are completely lost. When you look at the quality of water, it means that technically there's no fish or anything in that water that is worth thinking about," he said.

"Your vegetation... personally, there are certain regions when I go there I won't go to a chop bar and eat again, because the grasscutter that they have put there, I know what water is was drinking and I know what health hazards I'm putting in my body, I will not, because what vegetation was this animal eating before it's in my plate? the fish that you have taken, which river did it come from?" He questioned.

Mr. Segbefia stated that he used to take delight in eating at the local chop bars whenever he traveled to a specific catchment region in the country, but he can no longer do so since he is afraid of ingesting hazardous things. Instead, he stated he now brings his food with him on such trips.

He claims that eating in rural villages is now far riskier than in the cities because all commodities and vegetables have been poisoned, resulting in kidney, liver, and heart diseases.

"So if you think that in the old days when you go to the village that's when you know that you are eating healthy because the tomatoes has come fresh, everything is fresh, and your 'green green', now you cannot rely on everything in the village anymore, actually the village is now more dangerous than certain areas," he said, adding that the government has really failed its people on the fight against illegal mining.