ABOUT 50 water pumping machines being used by illegal gold miners (galamsey operators) in two different locations Asikam, near Kyebi and Akanteng about 10 kilometres from Akwatia, all in the Eastern Region have been impounded.
Also seized was a single barrelled gun ostensibly being used by the “galamsey” operators for the protection of the Asikam mines near the source of River Birim where spent cartridges were also found.
The seizure followed a surprise working visit to the two places by the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Alhaji Collins Dauda, and the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo as well as well as armed security men made up of the police and military.
Other members of the team were officials of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Minerals Commission.
The “galamsey” operators who had a last minute hint about the visit, hurriedly abandoned their equipment made up of all sorts of mining equipment ranging from washers, water pumping and heavy machines such as excavators and hid in the surrounding thickets.
They, however, came out of their hiding places to plead for the seized equipment to be given back to them which was refused.
The two ministers who did not allow the security personnel to arrest any of them, however, urged them to obtain the required licences and permits after which they would be allowed to operate at locations about 200 feet from river beds and water bodies.
According to the two ministers, the government was worried about the pollution being caused to rivers such as the Birim which had large deposits of alluvial gold along its banks by the “galamsey” operators using cyanide and mercury, making the water unsafe for drinking.
They said apart from that, large tracks of arable farm land some of which were planted with cocoa, were being destroyed and the environment degraded.
The two ministers, therefore, advised the illegal operators to acquire licences and permits to be allowed to operate in such a way that would sustain their livelihood as well as the environment.
Alhaji Dauda and Mr Ampofo later called on the Abontendomhene of Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Area, Osabarima Kyiretwie Boakye Danquah, at the Ofori Panin Fie, Kyebi and Osabarima Kofi Boateng II, the chief of Akwatia, to solicit their support to clamp down “galamsey’ and other illegal chainsaw operators in Akyem Abuakwa.
Osabarima Boakye Danquah who was happy that the two ministers had taken steps to clamp down on the chains and “galamsey” operators, said although he personally took that initiative long ago, not much had been accomplished.
He, however, expressed the hope that with the support of the state security apparatus, a lot would be achieved.
For his part, Osabarima Boateng deplored the inability of previous governments to revive the Ghana Consolidated Diamonds company at Akwatia which had been closed down.
He attributed the upsurge in “galamsey” activities in the area to the closure of the mining company.
Osabarima Boateng, therefore, appealed to the government to speed up its divestiture process and give out the company to a competent investor who would be able to re-engage the workers who had been retrenched without any compensation.
At the headquarters of the GCD where the two ministers also visited, the workers complained about the inability of the company to pay them their salaries for the past 21 months as well as their provident fund although they had been at home for all that long.
Alhaji Dauda and Mr Ofosu Ampofo, however, gave the assurance that every effort was being made to revamp the GCD but advised the workers to prevent “galamsey” operators from encroaching on its concessions to make it attractive to an investor to acquire it for their sustenance.
Early on, the two ministers visited the Cocoa College at Bunso which is to be converted into an agricultural university through the initiative of the Okyehene, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin.
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