As for the galamsey, it is not something we can stop if you tell us to stop - Wenchi chief tells Bawumia

The Chief of Akyem Wenchi and Oseawuohene in the Eastern Region of Ghana, Daasebre Dr. Asumadu Appiah, has publicly declared that young people in Wenchi and the surrounding regions are unlikely to stop indulging in illegal mining, also known as "galamsey" despite efforts to stop the practice.

According to the chief, galamsey is the sole employment in the Wenchi area therefore It would be pointless to halt it without offering other means of support.

His suggestion was for the government to implement a community mining program that is subject to stricter regulations. Using this strategy, he thinks, would protect the environment and enable the state to reap financial rewards from the project.

The significance of include traditional leaders, or Nananom, in the management of natural resources was also emphasized by Daasebre Asumadu Appiah and according to him, they ought to play a big part in supervising mining operations as the land's guardians.

He denounced the existing system in which the central government issues mining leases and permissions to businesses without first engaging the chiefs and to make sure that traditional authorities are included in decisions impacting their territories, the chief advocated for a shift in this method.

Daasebre Asumadu Appiah made these comments when Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia, the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), stopped by his palace in Akyem Wenchi as part of his campaign tour of the Eastern Region.

"We don’t have any job opportunities within our community; the only job here is galamsey. As for the galamsey, it is not something we can stop if you tell us to stop. So all we asking is that you give us good policies and guidelines to do it. That is all we are asking from you that bring us those policies. You guys have said we should do community mining so for instance, I have sent an application to the district to do it", he stated.

Stressing the need of environmental preservation, Dr. Bawumia said his government will prioritize community mining projects, including the creation of a more accommodating licensing system for such operations.

The Vice President further pledged that traditional authorities will actively participate in the administration and distribution of mining concessions.

Source: Lead News Online