<<Print>>

The Akwamuhene of Bekwai, Nana Ntiamoah Amankuo III, has called for the legalisation of small-scale illegal mining (galamsey) because it has the magic wand to halt the increasing rural-urban migration. He explained that galamsey provided many employment opportunities and livelihood for the teeming youth of the area, most of whom had no access to gainful employment. He argued that the little galamsey being undertaken in his area had brought relief to majority of the youth and called for measures to ensure that the youth resorted to sustainable ways of undertaking that �enterprise�. Nana Amankuo made the call during a tour by the Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Sarpong, to the Amansie Central District, an area that is bearing the brunt of illegal gold mining by both Ghanaians and foreigners, especially Chinese. According to him, through galamsey operations, the living standards of the people of the area had improved, noting that galamsey had also rekindled economic activities among the people to salvage a hitherto hopeless situation. He was of the view that if the authorities engaged the youth and schooled them on proper and effective ways of mining and the need to reclaim the land after mining, the land would be put to proper use after reclamation. EPA Nana Amankuo took a swipe at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the body mandated to regulate the activities of miners on the environment, and accused it of complicity in the destruction of land and water bodies by illegal miners. He alleged that anywhere the activities of illegal miners had culminated in the destruction of water bodies and farmlands, one would �see officials of the EPA moving up and down without enforcing the law for which they are paid�. Police He appealed to the regional minister to place an eagle eye on chainsaw operators, whose activities were destroying farmlands, forest reserves, water bodies and roads in the area. Nana Amankuo shared a personal experience when he had to chase some illegal chainsaw operators who were carting logs from the forest and noted that, unfortunately, the police arrested him (the chief) and allowed the chainsaw operators to go scot-free. Regional Minister Mr Sarpong vehemently opposed the activities of illegal miners in the area and said the Regional Security Council (REGSEC) had adopted new strategies to ensure that all the activities of the �nation wreckers� were brought to a halt. He reminded them of the two-week ultimatum he had issued to all those mining in the region to submit their documents to the REGSEC for verification before they would be allowed to continue with their business. He said currently the REGSEC had formed a task force, headed by the Deputy Regional Minister, Mr Joseph Yammin, to scrutinise all mining documents.