Illegal miners call the bluff of soldiers, they are digging for gold under pylons

Despite the war that has been declared on illegal mining by the Akufo-Addo government, operators of the trade are still not bothered and continue to wreck havoc on the environment with impunity.

This time, not only have they moved from the pollution of the water bodies, but also to the destruction of high tension electricity pylons erected at high cost to the tax payer.

A Video evidence in the hands of The Chronicle speak of alarming rate at which these galamsey operators are digging close to two high tension pylons at Brumasi, a suburb of Prestea in the Western Region.

Available information indicates that the galamsey operators are undertaking the illegitimate venture at the blind side of local government authorities.

An eye witness who sent video evidence to this paper narrated that the speed at which the operators were digging close to the pylons at an obscure corner poses danger to the entire Prestea community and the nation as a whole.

“They are doing the galamsey in Brumasi, deep in the forest and considering the location, the galamsey operators are able to spot anyone coming close to the area”, the eye witness said.

He further told The Chronicle that the area manager of GRIDCO had complained several times about the dangers ahead if illegal mining activities are done close to the pylons, but the advice has consistently been ignored.

The Chronicle gathered independently that though the boys behind the illegal activity are known in the Prestea community, they have still not come on the radar of the anti galamsey task-force Operation Vanguard.

Meanwhile, the Prestea Hunni-Valley Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mozart Kwaku Owuh, in a telephone interview declined knowledge of the existence of the illegal miners.

MCE Mozart Owuh told this reporter that the area being referred to falls within the concession of Golden Star Resources, a mining company.

Nevertheless, he promised to alert the BNI to verify the information.

An official of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has also confirmed the existence of the high tension pylons in the area, but was quick to add that the pylons belong to GRIDCO.