Illegal mining assuming alarming proportions in Akyem area

Koforidua, Nov. 06, GNA - Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, Eastern Regional Minister, said illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, was assuming alarming proportions in the Akyem area of the region and this called for an intervention by civil society and other bodies to curb an unwanted explosion.

He said the Regional Security Committee (RESCEC) had taken many measures to halt those activities but to no avail due to the sophisticated and intensified nature of the operations in scattered communities. Mr Ofosu-Ampofo said recent reports indicated that the operators left the pits uncovered posing danger to residents and that recently somebody was trapped to death in one of those pits.

Mr Ofosu-Ampofo said this when a delegation from the Eastern Regional Peace and Advisory Council (ERPAC), called on him to brief him on their activities and to solicit his support.

He noted that the galamsey issue was more or less a potential source= of conflict in the affected areas.

Mr Ofosu-Ampofo said the extent of water pollution, especially Kyebi, Asikam and the Akwatia areas was so bad that inhabitants had started complaining of itching after bathing. He said the Ghana Water Company on several occasions had threatened to shut down their purifying system since the level of pollution was making the process more expensive. Mr Ofosu-Ampofo said there were "hidden faces and powers behind the activities" and that had made its fight very difficult but gave the assurance that the RESCEC was preparing a comprehensive approach to stem the tide.

Touching on the relevance of the National Peace Council (NPC), and its regional bodies, he recalled the important role that the NPC played to the run-up of the 2008 elections to maintain peace.