The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Tano North, Pious Opoku, has assured Parliament that there are no illegal mining activities, commonly known as galamsey, currently ongoing in his municipality.
He gave this assurance when he appeared before the Local Government Committee of Parliament on Wednesday, October 8.
Mr Opoku explained that although galamsey had been an issue of concern in the municipality, recent decisive actions by the Assembly had brought the menace under control.
“Yes, we have galamsey issues in my municipality. Galamsey issues have recently been a big issue for us in Tano North, and last week, we were in the news on social media and other traditional media and it was reported that the Bisi River has been polluted,” he noted.
He said he immediately visited the site with his team to assess the situation and confirmed that the river was not polluted.
According to him, the alleged illegal activity that had been reported was promptly stopped, and all small-scale mining operations in the area were halted.
“As we speak, there is no galamsey activity that is ongoing right now,” the MCE declared, adding that two excavators seized during the operation were currently in the custody of the Municipal Assembly.
He reaffirmed the commitment of the Assembly to prevent further illegal mining activities and safeguard the environment.
