The District Chief Executive for the Akyemansa District in the Eastern region, Hon. Paul Asamoah Gyemah and the Police galamsey task force have burnt about twenty changfang machines and other equipment meant for galamsey activities on the Pra river in the Amantia community.
The fight against illegal mining in several communities across the country is still ongoing with DCEs and other community heads involved as directed by the President.
Speaking to the media, Hon. Paul Asamoah Gyemah revealed that he is committed to the fight against galamsey.
“As the DCE and with the help of the police and all concerned people, we have tried several means to halt the activities of illegal miners on the Pra river in the Akyemansa district where they share a boundary with the Ashanti region but it seems not to be yielding any positive results.”
He added that most of the local community “Okada riders” serve as informants to these illegal miners and anytime the district anti-galamsey task force prepares for operation in the galamsey sites, the illegal miners are informed.
He called on every Ghanaian who claims to have the galamsey fight at heart to come together to halt the activities of these illegal miners which have destroyed all water bodies to the extent that if care is not taken, Ghana will be importing larger quantities of water from other countries.
He further revealed that some landlords in the communities around the Pra river where illegal miners are operating seem not to be helping the national galamsey fight because they rent their houses to these illegal miners of which most of them are foreigners from neighbouring African countries.
All landlords will be arrested together with these illegal miners when they are caught, he added.
The operation was led by the Akyemansa district police commander, Superintendent George Bawa.