The Eastern Regional Minister,Hon.Mrs. Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey, on Monday, March 10, 2025, visited the family of 14-year-old Sampson Seku, a Junior High School (JHS) student who tragically drowned in a galamsey pit near his home at Boadua in the Denkyembour District.
Sampson, a Form One student at Boadua Roman Catholic JHS, went out to play with friends on Thursday, March 6, 2025, during the celebration of Ghana’s Independence Day but never returned.
His body was later discovered in an abandoned illegal mining pit filled with water.
Accompanied by members of the District Security Council (DISEC), the Regional Minister expressed deep sorrow over the loss and emphasized that such tragic incidents must not be repeated in the region or anywhere else in the country.
She condemned illegal mining (galamsey), noting that beyond its devastating environmental impact, it has now gone beyond security threat to life and death issue .
Hon.Mrs.Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey reiterated that while the government supports responsible and legal mining, it strongly opposes mining in water bodies and forest reserves. She also stressed the need for land reclamation to prevent similar disasters.
During the visit, the Assembly Member for Boadua East Electoral Area, Vincent Akorley, speaking on behalf of the bereaved family, expressed gratitude to the minister for her support.
He accusee the District Security Council (DISEC) for failing to deal with the illegal miners when they stormed the neighborhood to mine around peoples home despite several complaints.
He called on the government to implement stricter measures to combat illegal mining and pledged the community’s full cooperation with security agencies in the fight against galamsey.
Source:Mybrytfmonline.com/Obed Ansah
