The Central Regional Minister, Marigold Assan, says the presence of the military in the region has yielded some positive results by deterring illegal miners from engaging in their activities.
She said people are quick to blame the government for the burning of the seized excavators, but have turned a blind eye to those destroying water bodies through their illegal activities.
The Minister was speaking to the media during a tour of some illegal mining sites in the Upper Dankyira East and West Municipalities of the Central Region.
Illegal mining activities have destroyed major water bodies in mining areas.
The likes of River Pra and Offin located in Twifo Praso and Dunkwa-On-Offin in the Central Region and others have been heavily polluted.
The Central Regional Minister said “we are quick to blame the government when excavators are being burnt, but we are not fighting those who are destroying the water bodies. How many institutions or radio stations are fighting those people who are destroying the water bodies?”
She said the mining equipment would find their way back to the river bodies if they are not destroyed.
“We don’t want a situation whereby the excavators would find their way back into the River, so the best way to go is to destroy them.”
Madam Marigold Assan said her outfit intends to face perpetrators “boot for boot” to avoid the destruction of water bodies and farmlands.
The acting President of the Denkyira Traditional Area, Odeefuo Oduro Akenten, also acknowledged the dangers associated with illegal mining activities, and thus challenged authorities to tackle the menace from the source, which he claims is the Ashanti Region.
“We are also worried about the galamsey activities. In fact, galamsey has destroyed the River Offin which used to give us fish. We have announced that no one should eat fish from the Offin River. The source of the River is from the Ashanti Region where illegal mining is also going on so tackle the fight from there.”
“The illegal miners are not only here, they are also in Ashanti. We the chiefs are also doing our best, and we will help the government in the fight,” Odeefuo Oduro Akenten assured.