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01.09.2011 General News

Chiefs Chase 2000 Illegal Miners

By Daily Guide
Some residents present at the press conference. Inset: The chiefs in the affected communitiesSome residents present at the press conference. Inset: The chiefs in the affected communities
01.09.2011 LISTEN

TENSION IS brewing in the Tano North District of the Brong Ahafo Region as the chiefs and people in the district have resolved to stage a showdown with illegal miners, popularly referred to as galamsey operators, who have invaded the area.

At a press conference held yesterday at Afrisipa near Duayaw Nkwanta, which was attended by all the chiefs in the affected communities including Yamfomanhene, Nana Ansah Adu-Baah II; Susuansohene, Nana Obrempong Antwi-Tabiri II; Tanosohene, Nana Asare Baffour II; Afrisipahene, Nana Boni and Terchirehene, Nana Kwaku Beni-Anno, the chiefs declared an open war against the over 2000 illegal miners who had settled in the area and were causing havoc to human life and property.

A statement read on behalf of the chiefs by Nana Ansah Adu-Baah, Yamfomanhene, said the activities of the illegal miners polluted the Tano River, the only major source of water for all communities in the district and the Sunyani Municipality, while there had been an upsurge in school dropouts and teenage pregnancies.

According to the chiefs, many strange diseases such as buruli ulcer, swelling, itching and brain problems had also reared their ugly heads in the district due to the operations of the illegal miners. They explained that the miners used dangerous chemicals such as mercury to extract gold, and in the process polluted the water bodies in the area.

'Nananom, together with our community members, wish to state categorically that we will not tolerate any illegal mining activity in our traditional areas and shall resist galamsey operation which poses a major environmental and social threat to the development of our communities,' the chiefs threatened.

The chiefs have also resolved to deal drastically with indigenes of the area who rented out their houses to the illegal miners or gave their land for galamsey operations.

They have therefore given the landlords who have rented out rooms to the illegal miners two days to eject them or risk facing the full rigours of the law.

According to the chiefs, the area, which had been invaded by the illegal miners, formed part of the concession Newmont Ghana Gold Limited was expected to mine.

It is estimated that over 100 deep holes had been dug at Atongo alone, a village near Afrisipa on the Tano River, which poses a great threat to human life.

The place is considered to be the hub of illegal mining activities in the district.

The assembly members for the various communities affected by the illegal mining operations also expressed grave concern about the development.

Emmanuel Kumi, Assemblyman for Tanoso Electoral Area, bemoaned the lackadaisical attitude of the police by doing little to deal with the menace.

According to him, after paying huge amounts to the regional police command to undertake various operations to arrest and prosecute the illegal miners, the police managed to arrest only three suspects, whom he alleged had been set free.

He further alleged that all the 13 suspects the community people managed to arrest and send to the police had also been released, a situation which has emboldened the illegal miners to operate with impunity.

Mr. Kumi indicated that several petitions to the regional minister and the Regional Security Council (REGSEC) to help deal with the situation had also not yielded any positive results since no concrete decision to flash out the galamsey operators had been taken.

 From Fred Tettey Alarti-Amoako, Afrisipa
 
 

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