Galamsey Fight: Central Regional Minister Justifies Burning Of Excavators
The Central Regional Minister, Marigold Assan says the presence of the military in the Region has yielded good results, as it has deterred illegal miners from engaging in galamsey.
She indicated that people are quick to blame the government for the burning of the seized excavators but have turned a blind eye to those destroying river bodies with their illegal activities.
The Minister was speaking to the media during a day’s tour of some illegal mining sites in the Upper Dankyira East and West Municipalities of the Central Region.
Illegal mining activities have destroyed major water boides in the country. The likes of River Pra and Offin located in Twifo Praso and Dunkwa-On-Offin respectively among others in the Central Region have adversely been affected by the practice.
The Central Regional Minister said “we are quick to blame the government when excavators are being burnt, but we are not fighting those who are destroying the water bodies. How many institutions or radio stations are fighting those people who are destroying the water bodies?”
She was optimistic the mining equipment would find their way back to the river bodies if they were not destroyed.
“We don’t want a situation whereby the excavators would find their way back into the river so the best way to go is to destroy them.”
Madam Marigold Assan said her outfit intends to face perpetrators “boot for boot” to avoid the destruction of water bodies and farmlands, hence, the establishment of a taskforce to help fight the menace.
The acting President of the Dankyira Traditional Area, Odeefuo Oduro Akenten also acknowledged the dangers associated with illegal mining activities and thus challenged authorities to tackle the menace from the source, which he claims is Ashanti Region.
“We are also worried about the galamsey activities. In fact, galamsey has destroyed the River Offin which used to give us fish. We have announced that no one should eat fish from the Offin River. The source of the River is from the Ashanti Region where illegal mining is also going on so tackle the fight from there.”
“The illegal miners are not only here, they are also in Ashanti. We the chiefs are also doing our best, and we will help the government in the fight,” Odeefuo Oduro Akenten assured.