The Western Regional Minister, Hon. Paul Evans Aidoo  has said it is being alleged that some chiefs in the Region are in collaboration with illegal miners who are encroaching on mining concessions and causing environmental degradation.

Addressing a meeting of the Regional House of Chiefs at Sekondi, he appealed to the chiefs concerned, to “Divulge themselves from these illegal activities because it would be very embarrassing when the security agencies take action in clamping down the illegal  activities of the “Galamsey” operators, only to find that some of our prominent chiefs are  behind them”.

Hon. Aidoo said illegal mining is pronounced at Prestea, Mpohor, Damang Akempim, Tarkwa, Bogoso, Telekubokazo and Wassa Akropong and in recent times it has assumed an alarming proportion and threatening the security of the region.

He said almost all the mining companies have lodged complaints with the Regional Security Committee, about the encroachment on their concessions and have requested for assistance to deal with menace posed by these illegal operators.

Hon. Aidoo said complainants have also been received from companies running the large estates of oil palm and rubber plantations, as well as from individual small-scale farmers, and there are instances where the activities of “galamsey” operators have affected residential buildings.

He said various water bodies in the Region are also being polluted and as a matter of fact, “galamsey” is taking place in the Pra, Bonsa and Tano rivers.

Hon. Aidoo said a problem related to the oil find in the Region is the unprecedented sale of lands by chiefs around the catchment area of the oil field without recourse to the interest of future generations.

He said meanwhile, these lands are being acquired without any proper plans to put up development projects in these areas, to improve the quality of life of the people.

Hon. Aidoo said it is within the Government’s development plan to compulsorily acquire lands near the oil fields and when this becomes feasible all chiefs who had made unapproved sales of lands in their area may be compelled to refund the money.

He said most forest reserves in the region are under serious siege from chainsaw operators, illegal miners, and farmers who are plundering the Region’s forest resources with impunity.

The Minister said in the Afoa Hills, Tano, Suraw and Anhwiaso South Forest Reserves in the Bibiani District, illegal farming activities are being carried out in those reserves with impunity and it is the same story in the Tano Anwia Suhuma Sui River and KRHI forest reserves.

He said unfortunately many chiefs are guilty of complicity in these unacceptable situations, because as it is generally known, the illegal farmers in the forest reserves are mostly settler farmers from other parts of the country who get access to the reserves through chiefs after paying drinks and other rents.

Hon. Aidoo urged chiefs to desist from renting lands in the Region’s forest reserves to any person or group of persons to undertake economic ventures without going into agreement with the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources

Tags: chiefs, ghana news, illegal mining, miners, western region