Atronie chiefs threaten ‘spiritual’ action against galamsey
Chiefs and people of Atronie in the Sunyani Municipality of the Bono Region have threatened to resort to spiritual means to fight illegal mining, popularly known as ‘galamsey’, if the government fails to intervene.
“We are going to invoke the assistance and anger of our local deity to stop the galamseyers, and that will be disastrous,” Nana Yaw Ampofo, Secretary to the Atronie Traditional Authority, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview at Atronie.
Describing the local shrine as “unforgiving”, Nana Ampofo said the traditional authority was only informing the government about its decision because “nothing can be done to pacify the gods if we invoke their anger”.
He said a group of people were currently undertaking illegal mining activities in the area, adding that the chiefs had reported the matter to the police, the municipal assembly and other relevant institutions.
Nana Ampofo expressed regret that no action had been taken on their complaints, saying the illegal miners were destroying crops, farmlands, water bodies, vegetation and forest cover in the area.
He lamented the pollution and destruction of the Amoma River, which he described as the main source of potable drinking water for the community.
Nana Ampofo called for urgent government intervention to prevent the situation from escalating, saying failure to act would leave the chiefs with no option but to invoke the wrath of the Atronie local deity.
He said the people of Atronie owed allegiance to the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.
During a visit to the area, the GNA observed excavation and chanfan machines, mining implements and makeshift tents at the Jinijini illegal mining site.
The illegal miners had also constructed roads through farms leading to the mining site, resulting in the destruction of crops and farmlands in the area.
Source: GNA