Akwasidae: Otumfuo’s Advice Inspires ARCC to Tackle Unemployment

On the advice of the Occupant of the Golden Stool, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, a desk has been set up at the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council (ARCC) to deal with youth unemployment.

This was announced on March 2, 2025, by the Regional Minister, Hon Frank Amoakohene when he joined the Akwasidae Festival at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi.

The move is part of efforts to fight illegal mining in the region.

“We have started taking action on illegal mining. One forest reserve, the Offin Shelter Belt has been reclaimed. Otumfuo advised that we worked on unemployment. We have set up a desk at RCC to do that.”

It will be recalled that during a courtesy visit by the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah in February, the King of the Asante Kingdom suggested that the government simultaneously deal with unemployment.

This, he said, would prevent the youth from resorting to the menace as their only source of income for survival.

Galamsey Fight
The King in his suggestion urged the government first to grant a moratorium and amnesty to all galamsey kingpins.
This window, he said, should be used to document them, train them and assign concessions away from water bodies for them to work on.

In addition, Otumfuo said they must be engaged in a contract with the government to sell their extracts to the state.

“If we don’t take an approach like this, it will be difficult to deal with the menace…What we normally see is the arrest of young men undertaking the mining while the superpowers who are responsible for the funding are not sought. This approach is ineffective. Let us institute amnesty and moratorium and engage the powers behind the galamsey, train them in responsible mining and reassign them a concession.”

This, His Majesty foresees, will deal with unemployment among the youth engaged in the illegal act.

Source: opemsuo.com/Hajara Fuseini