The Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has urged the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, John Peter Amewu to engage with small scale miners to comply with government’s decision to ban illegal mining in the country.
He’s assured of his commitment to help fight the menace which has destroyed farm lands and water bodies.
His advice comes in the wake of the decision by Small Scale miners who have been affected by the ban on mining activities to stage a demonstration against the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for blocking the source of their livelihood.
The intended demonstration dubbed “All die be die” is expected to place at Kumasi in the Ashanti Region on Tuesday, May 23, 2017.
The miners to do not understand why the government’s stance against the activities of illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, should also affect their operations when they have legitimate licenses from the appropriate public institutions to do their business.
Eric Rivers, Founding Member and Former General Secretary of the Small Scale Mining Association has said the ban on mining activities which was targeting galamseyers but has so far been extended to those in the small scale mining industry is not reasonable.
The Asantehene who was speaking when the Minister paid a courtesy call on him at his palace at Manhyia also lambasted the responsible state agencies for failing to fight the menace.
“We all have been witnesses to galamsey, it didn’t start today but the lack of political will to take decisions was the problem. I flew over to Manso just because I wanted to see what was happening and I could see the devastation of the land. And when I stopped over at the Asanko Mine the first thing I raised issue with was galamsey ad what it has done to the land. Obuasi Mine had to close because of galamsey and with all the resources that had been pumped into it, we found ourselves as prisoners by these people who have destroyed all our waters. But my concern is that we have agencies that are responsible for monitoring and evaluating whatever is done and never did anything to protect our lands and water bodies.”
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