Tarkwa, Aug. 12, GNA - The activities of illegal gold miners in the Neung Forest Reserve and in the River Bonsa in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality dominated discussions at the assembly's sitting at Tarkwa on Wednesday.
Members said the illegal miners usually had floating metallic boats constructed by Chinese placed on River Bonsa and undertook mining on the river bed. Members said large cocoa farms and food crops are being destroyed on a daily basis by illegal miners and demanded to know the outcome of the preliminary investigations conducted by National Security.
Mrs. Christina Kobinah, the Tarkwa-Nsueam Municipal Chief Executive, said National Security dispatched a team to the Tarkwa- Nsueam to investigate activities of galamsey operations in the municipality.
She said some individuals were questioned while others were cautioned by the team and assured members of the assembly that the next action by the team would be more forceful. Mrs. Kobinah appealed to opinion leaders, chiefs and other individuals engaged in galamsey activities in the area to stop. She said the assembly realized 2,580.773 Ghana cedis out of an estimated 4,160.717 Ghana cedis as at June.
Mrs. Kobinah said some development projects were ongoing in many parts of the municipality and work on a new assembly hall complex for the municipality would begin soon at Ahwetieso near Tarkwa.
Mr. Robert Mensah, the Presiding Member, said the government was working on their end of service benefits and they should exercise restraint.
