The paramount chief of Assin Owirenkyi Traditional Area, Nana Pra Agyensaim VI has chided small scale miners and people who are opposing government’s fight against galamsey.
Those mounting opposition to the crusade against illegal mining are premising their argument on the fact that the exercise is ridding people of their livelihoods and will therefore lead them into engaging in criminal activities for survival.
But the paramount chief was emphatic that their reason does not provide enough basis to allow galamsey activities to destroy the country.
“People will come out with statistics to prove that crime has gone up in mining areas eg konongo following the ban on mining by the government. Let them bring it. Crime can go up but that will not stop us from fighting. After all crime has always been up even when people are mining,” the disappointed chief opined.
He also retorted concerns that people may die of hunger due to lack of jobs to earn a living.
He commended the president and the NPP government for the bold step, encouraging them to be resolute in this decision.
Nana Pra Agyensaim VI made these remarks when the Lands and Natural Resources Minister John Peter Amewu together with his two deputies, Managing Director of the Precious Minerals Marketing Company, Dr. Kwadwo Opare Hamlond and other officials from the ministry paid a courtesy call on him as part of their working visit to galamsey sites in the Western Region.
Nana Pra who is also a member of the advisory committee of the ministry pledged his full support for the action calling on all Ghanaians especially traditional authority to use their offices to influence the adherence to the ban.
The Lands and Natural Resources Minister reiterated government’s commitment to sanitize the sector, saying it will stop at nothing to achieve that.
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