Deal with your own people if you want 'galamsey' curbed - Amansie Chiefs to Akufo-Addo

Traditional leaders in the Amansie Central district of the Ashanti region have urged President Akufo-Addo to deal with his own people if he is really determined to stop illegal mining activities in the country.

They are accusing the CEO of the Ghana Forestry Commission, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie aka Sir John, of giving the Aprapram forest reserve to Chinese nationals to mine under the pretext of doing reclamation.

The chiefs also cited the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Mr Bernard Antwi Bosiako aka Chairman Wontumi, who they say is supervising illegal mining activities at the forest reserve.

This came to fore during a meeting between the Minister of Chieftency and Traditional Affairs and the Chiefs of Amansie.

They indicated that illegal mining is so rife in the area that the Kobro forest reserve has been tagged as the 'Nana AKufo-Addo galamsey site'. Anybody who attempts going to the forest they claim, is turned away, even to the extent that Member of parliament for the people of Jacobu, Hon Emmanuel Akwasi Gyamfi was turned away when he tried entering the Kobro Forest to appreciate the spate of ongoing reclamation in there.

Omanhene of Bekwai traditional Area , Nana Osei Kwadwo Ababio appealed to the Council of state member of Ashanti region, Nana Owusu Ahiaw, to inform the president to act swiftly in lifting the ban on small scale mining because hunger brings anger.