The Bono Regional Minister, Hon. Justina Owusu Banahene has paid a working visit to a newly established military camp at Bui, purposely to provide protection for the Bui Power Dam and also deal with illegal mining activities by some group of persons.
The visit was to inspect the newly established military camp that was necessitated by imminent security threats being posed to the dam by illegal miners.
Hon. Banahene in an interview with the media revealed that she visited the camp in the company of the General Central Commander, Major General Arphour and 3BM Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Kwarten J.Y, and the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Banda, Emmanuel Akone to check on the soldiers and their conditions in which they operate.
She said the Dokokyina location where the illegal miners were conducting their trade raises other security concerns because it lies on the border between Ghana and the Ivory Coast.
According to her, the illegal mining activities around the Black Volta have been identified by authorities for the past two years and efforts to contain the situation have been met with fierce resistance.
She explained that before the permanent military presence, the soldiers used to camp in the area 48 hours a week and this gave room for the illegal miners’ operations to flourish.
The minister added that the soldiers were deployed by the Regional Security Council (REGSEC), adding that the illegal miners engage the military personnel in hiding and seek, that is; they switch locations with the soldiers.
She described the ‘galamseyers’ as nation wreckers, as their activities could also cost the state if not checked, saying “most of their activities are marked with chaos and violence, especially when they come in contact with the soldiers.”
She said the soldiers have also destroyed temporary structures mounted by the galamsayers to deter them from operating.
Source: Mybrytnewsroom/Kwabena Nyarko Abronoma
