By Charles Tawiah
Mpasatia (Ash) April 03, GNA – Chief Superintendent Vitus Napem, Nkawie Divisional Police Commander, has advised the youth to value their lives and desist from acts that could ruin or truncate their lives.
Addressing community members at Mpasatia in the Atwima Mponua District, after the death of two illegal miners in a pit at a galamsay site near the community, he said illegal mining was not only a crime, but also a devastating death trap, which was killing many young people in Ghana.
He pointed out that, illegal mining sites were crime scenes that must be feared and avoided by all citizens, adding that, one could not only be arrested, prosecuted or punished, but could also cause untimely death to innocent souls.
Mr. Napem therefore appealed to the youth who wanted to engage in mining to use proper and lawful methods so as to be able to live longer to enjoy the fruits of their labour.
They should wait for the government’s promised arrangements and directives on small scale mining, which was intended to involve community leaders and through a decentralized licensing regime and appropriate regulation and safety precautions by the Minerals Commission.
Mr. Napem, who was accompanied by a team of police officers and officials from the District Assembly, the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), the Minerals Commission, the media and others, visited the scene of the incident to purposely assess the outcome of a search party that was tasked to check if some other casualties were still in the pit.
However, the search party didn’t discover any other casualty besides the 52-year-old Kwame Charles and 45-year-old Ben, alias Morale, whose bodies were discovered earlier.
Mr. Rabby Otuo Acheampong, the District NADMO Director, commended the search party for their hard work that produced the needed results after the disaster.
He said fear had gripped the community due to suspicion of more casualties, but their efforts had released tensions and fear of the people.
He urged the people, especially the youth, to take the Divisional Commander’s advice to protect their precious lives instead of chasing money through deadly work, which could end their lives.
GNA
KOM/BM