DAILY GUIDE has gathered that illegal mining activities also called ‘galamsey’ are currently on the ascendancy in the Amenfi Central District of the Western Region.
Sadly, information gathered indicates that some of the illegal miners have invaded part of the lands of Hiawa Prisons Camp in the district, threatening the safety of the camp.
The purported recalcitrant illegal miners include Chinese nationals and some Ghanaians, who continue to mine illegally on the lands of the Hiawa Prisons Camp.
A source in the area asserted that several complaints on the issue have been made to the chiefs and opinion leaders of the community, but nothing has been done about it.
“We have even heard that some of the elders in the area are litigating over the ownership of the land in question. There are inmates at the camp and these activities can jeopardise the integrity of the camp,” the source noted.
The source added that at the initial stages when the illegal miners started invading the prison’s premises, some top-level officers of Ghana Prisons Service were informed for their intervention but to no avail.
“The rumour here is that some kingpins of the ruling government are benefiting from the activities of these illegal miners, therefore it will be difficult to halt their activities. That is why we are running to you the media,” the source stated.
In a related development, some residents in the district have bemoaned the fact that illegal mining activities in the Ayensu River in the community have become severe in recent times when the current government took over power.
“Illegal miners are not just mining directly in the river, but have also channeled a wastewater containing dirty oil and other pollutants into the river.
“It’s an open secret that those behind these illegal activities are politicians, precisely, constituency executives of political parties,” some of the residents pointed out.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi