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Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has charged members of the National Anti-Galamsey Task Force, code-named Operation Vanguard, not to hesitate to arrest anyone, including even chiefs, engaged in illegal mining.

He expressed his readiness to support the task force to successfully carry out its mandate in the Ashanti Region.

Receiving a delegation of the task force at the Manhyia Palace last Friday, the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, said no effort must be spared in ensuring that illegal mining was halted to save the country’s environment from wanton degradation.

The delegation, led by Col William Agyapong, was at the Manhyia Palace to brief the Asantehene on the activities of the task force in the region.

Committee

Already, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has set up a five-man committee to liaise with stakeholders to support government’s efforts in fighting the canker.

Addressing the delegation, the Asantehene commended the decisiveness and the boldness of the President to arrest the wanton destruction of the country's water bodies and farming lands and urged all to accept the task force and help to ensure that the destruction was reversed.

He said no one should escape blame, particularly the chiefs and government institutions, as well as district and municipal chief executives, because they were witnesses to the rate at which the environment was being destroyed with careless abandon but either connived or kept mute.

“Did we not see our lands and waters bodies being destroyed? The district chief executives, the Minerals Commission and the EPA people were all there but did nothing," the Asantehene stated.

He wondered why those state institutions that issued permits to the mining companies did not follow up to check that they were operating according to rules and required standards.

He stated that in some instances, the chiefs visited their communities to see people mining and “they are often told that the mining companies have been given permits to mine”.

Such situations, the Asantehene indicated, usually paralysed the chiefs from acting to prevent the companies from mining in their communities.

Mandate
He was confident that the joint military-police task force would execute its mandate with excellence.
The Asantehene charged the leadership of the task force to ensure that their men did not indulge in corrupt practices, such as taking bribes from the illegal miners to allow them to continue with their activities.

Commander

Briefing the Asantehene, Col Agyapong said since the commencement of operations of the task force, almost 300 people engaged in illegal mining had been arrested.
Out of the number, 71 were arrested in the Ashanti Region; 90 in the Eastern Region and 132 in the Western Region.

He said in the Ashanti Region, majority of the small-scale miners had stopped their activities, except a few individuals who were bent on flouting the directive to stop mining.

He added that although the Ashanti Region recorded the lowest number of arrested culprits, it recorded the highest number of foreigners arrested.
Col Agyapong commended the regional ministers and district chief executives for their support and encouragement.