Okyenhene Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin has described as troubling the burning of excavators by the military task force clamping down on illegal mining but says the action is a necessary evil in the renewed fight against illegal mining.
Okyenhene stated that persons engaging in illegal mining are recalcitrant therefore likely to return to the site again if the excavators are spared.
According to the Overlord of Akyem Abuakwa, it is not enough justification for people to use lack of jobs as motivation to engage in illegal mining to destroy the ecosystem.
He cited planting for food and jobs and other programs by the government as alternate livelihood the youth can depend upon instead of illegal mining.
Okyenhene however called on the government to source funds to embark on reclamation and tree planting to mitigate the impact caused by decades of destruction of the environment and at the same time create job opportunities for the youth.
Okyenhene said this Monday when the Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources Cecilia Abena Dapaah and her entourage of technical persons and directors at the Ministry paid a courtesy call on him at Ofori Panin Fie in Kyebi in the Eastern Region as part of the monitoring tour and assessment of the state of major river bodies in the country.
The Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, and her entourage visited the Kyebi Water treatment plant and intake points. She was impressed that raw water in the stretch of the river has not been polluted.
The Minister moved to Bunso and Osino Water treatment plants and intake points where the water turbidity had reached alarming levels due to the activities of illegal miners.
The situation has led to low production of water and intermittent shut down of the two water treatment plants managed by Ghana Water Company Limited.
Addressing the media, Cecilia Abena Dapaah expressed worry over the devastation of lands along the Birim River and the muddying of raw water by illegal miners.
She called on all Ghanaians to support President Akufo Addo’s fight against illegal mining to help protect water bodies in the country.
“We’ve come here and am very sad honestly, very very sad looking at the fact that some people dared to divert the Birim river to form pools for washing their metals and using chemicals which seep through the river”
Source: Mybrytfmonline.com/Obed Ansah
