Ashanti Regional Security Council vows to halt destruction by illegal miners
The Ashanti Regional Security Council (REGSEC) has vowed to clamp down on illegal miners, destroying the environment.
The use of dynamite, cyanide other dangerous chemicals to pollute water bodies was completely unacceptable and could certainly not be allowed to continue, Dr Kwaku Agyemang-Mensah, the Regional Minister, stated.
He also noted the security threat that those illicit miners posed to both the communities within, which they operated and the country’s investment drive.
Dr Agyeman-Mensah said it was on the basis of this that the REGSEC would not sit unconcerned to allow them to operate with impunity.
He was addressing a durbar of the chiefs and people of Manso-Abore during a day’s working visit to the Amansie-West District to inaugurate and inspect on-going projects, interact with the people and assist them to have better understanding of government’s policies and programmes designed to improve their living conditions.
Dr Agyemang-Mensah warned that those operating without permit would be flushed out.
He said although the law permits small-scale mining, this must be carried out on properly acquired concessions.
Dr Agyemang-Mensah appealed to the people to stand behind the government as it worked hard to bring socio-economic progress to the nation.
He also encouraged them to give more attention to the education of their children.
The government on its part was doing everything to create the right conditions in schools for effective academic work, he said, and cited huge investments made in the sector within the last three years as evidence of this.
Nana Adu Boahen, Chief of Manso-Abore, pleaded with the government to provide the community with a vocational and technical school as well as mechanized boreholes.
Source: GNA