The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has charged chiefs in the Ashanti Region not to allow people who come with mining permits from the government to mine in their communities.
Addressing chiefs at the climax of the 2022 Ashanti Regional House of Chiefs meeting, on Thursday, December 15, 2022, the Asantehene said that the chiefs, as custodians of the land, must protect it from being destroyed by illegal miners.
He added that if the government is going to kill chiefs who do not allow mining in their communities, they are at liberty to do so.
“We are the custodians of the land. We swore allegiance to protect them (the lands) when they were given to us by our forefathers. But you (the chiefs) do nothing as some people take our lands and destroy our water bodies.
“Because they come and give you drinks and money, they should destroy our water bodies… we must show the government that we are serious by turning away people who come with mining permits to mine in our communities.
“If the government will bring guns to kill us, they should come,” he said in Twi in a video of the meeting shared by Opemsuo Radio.
The Asantehene also said that from next year, he is going to summon all of the chiefs in the Ashanti Region whose communities have active illegal mining (galamsey) sites for them to explain why they have not been able to stop the menace.