A joint police and the Anti Illegal Mining Taskforce of the Small Scale Miners Association in the Ashanti region have swooped three mining communities in the Atwima Mponua District to clamp down on "galamseyers" who have defied the government's directive to stop all illegal mining activities in the country.
The taskforce led by the Atwima Mponua District Police Commander, ASP Andrews Aboagye confiscated and set ablaze a total of fourteen "Chang Fang" machines which were anchored on the Offin River, defiantly mining for the precious mineral at Bontomuruso, Achiase and Atuntuma.
No arrest was however made as the defiant illegal miners took to their heels upon seeing the taskforce;others who had informants in the towns fled from the sites before the taskforce could reach there.
The queenmother of Atuntuma, Nana Afrah Saah, together with some Unit Committee members were said to be the owners of some of the machines.
Leader of the Ashanti Regional Anti Illegal Mining Taskforce, Bresi Andoh said they embarked on the mission to demonstrate to the whole country that Small Scale Miners are not behind the mining on water bodies and that they frown on same.
He assured of their commitment to flush out all illegal miners to pave the way for a more regularised and law-backed mining in the country.
The Anti Illegal Mining Taskforce was set up by the Small Scale Miners Association in the Ashanti region a fortnight ago to clamp down on recalcitrant "galamsey operators" who are still engaged in illegal mining, despite the nationwide ban.
Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana
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@Obroni and Kobby you people are JUST saying some for saying SAKE. How will the smoke entering into the river. What about charcoal our farmers are burning every day in the ***barred word*** near river bodies. Do you think from the above Picture is good for you. Destroying the water serving millions of people by few people.
I want to bring to the attention of the minister that people are actively mining in the Pra river at sekyere nsuta, krobo and dediso, defiling government orders and actively polluting the river body.
This is extreme lunacy. Why burn the machines on the river? Isn't it the rivers and our water bodies that the galamsey people are destroying that we want to protect. This is totally absurd !!! Polluting of the river by those who are sent to stop polluting of the rivers. Such a shame
where the machine are being burnt are we not polluting the water the more not knowing the chemicals in the machine and the sort of fuel being used to fire it.this people lack common sense and need to be educated because what they have done by burning the machines on top of the river bodies is worse than the galamsey it self shame on them ***barred word***
Im sure the creator sits in heaven and wonders to himself how he created such an aberration called black people. The same God who created white people, the Jews and Japanese cannot be the same God who created black people. We have brains that just cant organise, think or create anything but we know all too well how to destroy and deface everything. We talk about galamsey but look at what we do to our beaches and oceans. We value nothing and respect nothing. A bunch of animals in suits who speak, read and write the white man's language and therefore feel we are civilized. And you expect to be treated with respect in the international community, respect is not handed out like candy, it's earned.
@ Awudi Sam, nice observation brother, but unfortunately in this God forsaken country and continent that we've been misfortuned by providence to find ourselves, common sense is such a scarce commodity. There is evidence the queen mother owns the illegal mining equipment but as usual, nothing is going to happen to her. Such impunity. In a way i am happy this is happening, lets pollute all our waters and lets all die of starvation and thirst, ***barred word*** must die so better and more intelligent people inherit the earth and preserve it. Carry on.
all this places are the strong hold of thee npp make pullte all the water who cares
lack of knowledge what u people did is more harmful than what the galamsay guys did please next time think fast
common sense paa dey lack for here oo.
Well,why are we doing things just anyhow without thinking through it.Firstly you need to pull these machines from the river because there still oil/filters that are part of the machines which is going to pollute the river.Are you leaving the burnt metal to rust and continued to pollute the river?You could tow the machines to land and all the filters and other polluting items removed and the rest sent to Tema steel works where it will be used to feed their mill to produce iron rods.we must be thinking about recycling of waste