The Chief of Pramkese in the Akyem Traditional Area, Barima Ofori Frimpong II, has outlined some of the challenges confronting traditional leaders whose areas are suffering from the effects of illegal mining activities (galamsey).
Speaking in an interview with Oman Channel, the chief noted that traditional leaders have very limited options and power in the fight against galamsey.
He noted that illegal miners take advantage of the loopholes in the mining laws and have taken over forest reserves and water bodies.
“If a person goes for proper documents from the Minerals Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency, whatever it is, they will come to the chief and the elders for you to verify the documents. If it is genuine, you have no authority to stop them since it is the government that has given it to them and that is what some people have taken advantage of and are engaging in unlawful activities,” he said.
Barima Ofori Frimpong II noted that the illegal miners have to their advantage armed security men which sometimes include state security officers.
“You wake up one day and they have taken over the rivers with the Changfans and other machines. If you go and complain you are in trouble,” he stated.
According to the chief, the only option available to traditional leaders is to rely on government taskforce in the fight against illegal mining.
“The government has taskforces such as Operation Vanguard and Galamstop so the best you can do is to report that you have identified some people engaged in such and such activity.
“The people in the bushes are well equipped so I can’t stop them with my warriors because they are not equipped with the weapons they have.”
The chief further noted that the fight is more difficult on the part of traditional leaders because the illegal miners sometimes recruit some locals who fight against attempts to end such activities.
“The issue is that they employ some of the locals so when you say something you are attacked by the locals for threatening their livelihood,” the chief said.
