A/R: Amansie West To Celebrate Sika Afahye To Showcase Its Rich Resources
Amansie West District in the Manso Nkwanta Constituency is among the Districts endowed with rich resources.
To this end, a proposal by the MP for the Constituency, Hon. George Kwabena Obeng Takyi to Nananom and other stakeholders to celebrate Sika Afahye to demonstrate their rich resources, gold mining.
According to the MP, Ghana for some years ago was the leading producer of gold mining in the world of which Amansie West played a key role.
Speaking at the Stakeholders’ Summit on proposed ‘Sika Afahye’ for the people of Manso Nkwanta Constituency, Hon. Obeng Takyi said that, gold mining popularly known as ‘galamsey’ started in the ancient days by the ancestors.
“They were using mercury and cyanide to extract the gold without causing any wreck to the lands,” he said.
He said that there is a proper way the people of Amansie West District can do the mining without causing destruction to the lands and the water bodies.
He said, “Once the Sechem- CFX100 is to be approved by the minerals commission and the government, we would also apply it in the mining and demonstrate it in the ‘Sika Afahye’ for people to know how Amansie West District now engage in galamsey without causing destruction to the lands and water bodies.”
“The mining sector would be a tourist site. and our traditional activities,” he indicated.
Hon. Obeng Takyi stressed that, he will need the support of Nananom to make the festival a success.
“The Sika Afahye would be an institution that would be registered and devoid of partisan politics, “he said.
The Chairman for the Sika Afahye Proposal Development Committee, Dr. Stephen Baffour Adjei, stated that, the festival would be used to showcase the history of the then Gold Coast and mining.
He said that, funds would be established to use to train the indigenes of Amansie West District on mining.
“Hon. Obeng Takyi is environmentally friendly. His aim is to let Amansie West get the benefit of mining in a proper way,’he emphasized.
Dr. Baffour Adjei noted that, Hon. Obeng Takyi has proposed the ‘Sika Afahye’ so he can invite geological engineers and geo-scientists to come and facilitate how galamsey can be done for the inhabitants and Ghanaians to benefit from it.
For their part, Nananom who were present at the event told Nana Owusu Achiaw of Wontumionline.com that, the festival is a good initiative and that it must be accepted.
They lamented that galamsey is destroying their lands so there must be an antidote to stop that.
“There should be a committee to ensure that, the miners operate by adhering to the laws of the land,” they suggested.
However, the Chiefs further lamented that, the inhabitants hardly benefit from the galamsey.
