Queen Mother Wages Relentless War Against Illegal Mining

Illegal mining, known locally as ‘GALAMSAY’ as described by many as inimical, deadly, disastrous and inhuman, continues to wreak havoc on the nation’s natural resources despite the government’s recent renewed fight against the menace.

Most of the nation’s major rivers are being polluted at the highest level, forests have been and continue to be degraded and farmlands are being lost to illegal miners. Experts have warned that Ghana risks importing water if illegal mining is not stopped as early as possible. In some areas where GALAMSAY is highly prevalent, residents are said to be facing some kind of food crisis resulting in high cost of living, poverty, lack of development and possibly risk contracting waterborne diseases as a result of the indiscriminate use of dangerous substances in the process.

For these and other reasons, Paramount Queen of Denyase Traditional Area in the Asante Kingdom, Nana Adutwiwaa Bonin III, has waged a relentless war against this appalling practice that is gradually gaining momentum in her traditional area in recent times.

In her conviction, she holds it a duty to protect and preserve the lands, forests and water bodies entrusted to her by her ancestors for the present and future generations of Denyase Traditional Area.

One of those communities where the activity is most prevalent is Afransie where illegal mining and sand-winning have been ongoing.

She was fixated by the level of destruction caused to some lands at Afransie. According to her, until the demise of her Uncle, their Paramount Chief in 2017, Denyase Traditional Area was a no go area because they had both resisted any attempt to commit illegal mining in the area.

According to her, some seven excavator machines were deployed to the area to engage in illegal mining at Afransie but upon her swift intervention, they machines were moved away only to realise they had returned to site last year.

Nana Adutwiwaa told Opemsuo News all efforts to get appropriate authorities to stop GALAMSAY in her area including their Member of Parliament, Joseph Osei Owusu, Municipal Chief Executive, Kwaku Kyei Baffour, Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah and security agencies have proved futile as GALAMSAYERS play hide and seek with them.

She is calling on the government to support her and end GALAMSAY in her area before it gets out of hand. She blames the Mamesenhene and other chiefs in the area for being bhind the illegal mining activities.

Source: opemsuo.com/George Addo