The ban on galamsey [illegal Mining] by the Akufo-Addo government has affected the livelihood of the people of Amansie West District of Manso Nkwanta Constituency in the Ashanti Region.
According to them, galamsey has been their only source of livelihood as they do not have the capital to engage in commercial farming which happens to be the main occupation of the district.
In an encounter with Peacefmonline.com in its “Constituency Watch” initiative, the residents made a passionate appeal to President Akufo-Addo to open the flood gate of galamsey as the ban has turned the teaming youth in the Amansie West District into petty thieves and armed robbers.
One opinion leader at Yawkrom in the Amansie West District, Opanin Mosi asked the government to soften the grounds for the residents to engage in mining in the area without any confrontation from the security agencies as there are no jobs for the youth in the communities.
“ . . the government should do something about the ‘gala’ for us, because since the ban nobody has any job to do and the youth are staying at home, but at first whenever we go to the sites, we come home with something for our families,” he appealed.
He further said that the new mining policy should be done in a manner that will also benefit them as the new measures governing mining makes it difficult for the poor ones to obtain concession to mine in the communities.
“The new mining policy will favour only the rich ones and we the poor cannot continue with mining,” he asserted.
But Hon. Joseph Albert Quarm responding to the plea of his constituents said he and his NPP government are not against Ghanaians especially those in Amansie West doing mining.
He stressed that as a crusader against galamsey, due to its effect on water bodies as well as farms, he will back President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to oppose any attempt by anybody to do illegal mining in the country.
“I am not against mining in Amansie West as I have been made to appear before my constituents, but any form of illegal mining to destroy our water bodies and farm lands, I will not entertain it. In fact, I am against the Chinese who are doing illegal mining and also doing small scale mining. The small scale mining is the reserve of the indigenes or Ghanaians and so I will not sit down for anybody to bring the Chinese to my constituency to engage in small scale mining as well as illegal mining,” he pontificated.
He however urged the youth and the people of Amansie West to form groups of five people and above in accordance with the new mining policy in order to receive training and obtain a concession to start mining in small scale.
He added it is the only way they can operate in the mining sector without any obstruction from the security agencies assigned to protects the lands.
Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected]
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