Minister ask chiefs not to allocate land for illegal mining

Western Regional Minister, Ebenezer Teye Addo on Wednesday admonished chiefs in the region to desist from allocating land for illegal mining without recourse to the laid down regulations.

He noted that chiefs play crucial roles in the society which require them to contribute their quota towards the fight against illegal mining popularly known as “galamsey”.

Mr Addo said galamsey is a socio-economic canker that is polluting the river bodies and degrading the environment.

The Minister gave the warning in his maiden address to the first general meeting of the Regional House of Chiefs in Sekondi.

Mr Addo expressed regret that cocoa farms, rubber and oil palm plantations and other economic activities are under threat due to the illegal activities of miners.

Touching on chieftaincy disputes in the region, the Minister entreated the chiefs to adopt traditional approaches in resolving them amicably to promote unity and peace.

Mr Addo asked for the support and cooperation of the chiefs to build a prosperous society for the region.

Osagyefo Kwamina Enimil, President of the House, enumerated a number of challenges confronting the region and appealed to the Minister to use his good office to find solutions to them to facilitate rapid growth.

Osagyefo Enimil who is the Paramount Chief of Wassa Fiase, listed some of the problems as the deplorable road network, illegal mining activities, highway robbery and poor rail lines.