Sissala East: MCE calls for closure of mining activities as 'galamsey' looms at Wuru and Pido

Correspondence from the Upper West Region

Following some mining activities generating into possible 'galamsey' at Wuru and Pido in the Sissala East Constituency, the Municipal Chief Executive Hon. Karim Nanyua together with the Assembly has called for a shut down of the activities with immediate effect.

The call came after the MCE met with The Sissala East Municipal Security Committee (MUSEC), Chiefs, farmers, the Sissala Youth Forum(SYF), some opinion leaders among others in the area.

The MCE has told GhanaWeb that some few days ago, a security task force undertook an operation at Pido and Wuru ordering operations to cease to allow for further consultations with stakeholders because "there are currently no documents available to back mining activities in the municipality"

The MCE has however appealed to the Wuru Chief, Pio Mahama Diworie and the Pido Chief, Pio Mahama Wemene to continue to keep the Municipal Assembly informed of further activities degrading the land.

People are drawn from various parts of the country and neighbouring Burkina Faso to engage in mining activities.

Meanwhile, the Park Manager of the Gbele Resource Reserve, Dr Nana Owusu Ansah during a sensitization forum warned that mining destroyed and reduced agricultural production.

He added that mining was a threat to agriculture since lands could be lost depending on the type of mining being done.

He feared destruction of vegetative cover and water bodies as well as environmental pollution as some of the dire consequences of mining, which could lead to food insecurity in the area if the activities fail to stop.