By Alex Baah Boadi
Bonzian (W/NR), November 17, GNA – Nana Ofori Ahenkan II, Chief of Sefwi-Bonzian in the
Juaboso District of the Western North Region, has called on the Ministry of Lands and Natural
Resources to deploy military personnel to Bonzian and its environs to help curb the destructive activities of illegal miners in the area.
According to the traditional ruler, the rate at which illegal mining was going on in the area was alarming and needed serious and urgent attention to curb it.
Nana Ahenkan, who is also the Krontihene of Wiawso traditional council, expressed these
sentiments in an interview with the Ghana News Agency on measures he and his elders were putting in place to address the galamsey menace in the area.
The Krontihene who expressed worry about the destructive activities of illegal mining, popularly
known as Galamsey in the community, indicated that he had done all he could as a chief to stop the illegal miners, but to no avail and was therefore calling on the government through the
Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to deploy military to the area especially Bonzian, Abono and Abrokofe in order to help fight the canker.
“There is little that I can do as a chief in the fight against galamsey because I don’t have enough security as compared to the government”.
Nana Ahenkan advised residents to consider the negative effects of galamsey and desist from engaging in illegal mining, stressing that “if we are not careful a time will come, we will be compelled to import water and cassava into the area.
The Krontihene continued that he met all the chiefs under his jurisdiction after the ban on illegal mining by the Wiawso traditional council but the illegal activity was still ongoing in Bonzian.
“Galamsey activities have been going on in Bonzian and its environs day and night and I have informed the District Chief Executive who promised to do his best to stem the activities of the illegal miners,” he said.
Nana Ofori Ahenkan called for a stronger force to fight the menace and asked residents to ignore rumours that he has some excavators, adding,” I don’t own and have never own a single excavator”.
GNA