The District Chief Executive for Wassa East, Wilson Arthur has directed residents in the area to immediately stop all mining activities in the area, especially on the Pra River.
He was emphatic that all alluvial mining activities will not be tolerated as they pollute the Pra River which serves as a source of drinking water for several communities.
The district chief executive gave the directive during a meeting with the chiefs and people of Sekyere Hemang in the Wassa East District of the Western Region.
According to Wilson Arthur, government is not against small scale mining but wants to ensure their activities are regulated to ensure sanity.
Meanwhile, the DCE assured the people that government will support the cocoa sector by introducing a new method known as artificial pollination and also provide with fertilizers.
Wilson Arthur further pledged the construction of a police post at Sekyere Hemang as well as the construction of the main road linking the community to other areas.
The Wassa East District Agric officer, Kofi Ayiah said government has already given the district some seedlings and fertilizers at subsidized prices as part of the planting for food and jobs project and urged the people especially the youth to take advantage of the initiative.
On his part, the District Police Commander for Wassa East, Superintendent Richard Gyebi reiterated the commitment of the police to forestall illegal mining in the district and urge miners there to comply with government’s directive on mining.
The Paramount Chief of Sekyere Hemang Daasebre Kwedu Kyirefo III, accused persons in high authorities of buying machines for people to engage in illegal mining.
He therefore called on government to support naval personnel in the area to smoke out the illegal miners on the river.
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