An excavator covering galamsey pits
Some illegal miners, including Chinese nationals at Wassa Akropong in the Amenfi East District of the Western Region, have appealed to the government to create the opportunity for them to register and obtain licences to regularize their activities.
Their plea comes a day after the ultimatum by Peter Amewu, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, to all ‘galamsey’ operators to halt their activities has expired.
According to them, the indigenes recognize the important role small scale mining plays in the growth of the local economy.
They pledged to support the government’s plan to ban mining in the country’s water bodies to stop pollution.
They asserted that the majority of the ‘galamsey’ operators in the Amenfi East District were working on land and employ many youth in the area, including university graduates.
They indicated that the youth were engaged in ‘galamsey’ in mining communities because of unemployment and poverty and stressed the need to educate operators to obtain licences to regularize their activities.
“We will therefore be glad if the Minerals Commission could create offices in the districts to give licences to small scale miners and to provide technical assistance on mining to the licensed ‘galamsey’ operators,” they indicated.
This came to light when DAILY GUIDE interacted with some ‘galamsey’ operators at Wassa Akropong, now referred to as ‘Shanghai City’ because of the presence of a number of Chinese in the area who are engaged in illegal mining.
A visit to the area revealed that the illegal miners had adhered to the directive from the Lands and Natural Resources Minister and had parked the excavators used in their illegal activities.
According to reports, the illegal miners were making frantic efforts to cover all the pits they had created as a result of their activities.
Speaking to DAILY GUIDE in separate interviews, the operators pointed out that they had decided to comply with the government’s directive which was part of measures to find ways of bringing their activities under control.
A security man at one of the ‘galamsey’ sites, who gave his name as Nipa Yera Yebodua, told DAILY GUIDE that they were aware of the concern of government about the dangers associated with their activities.
He therefore, appealed to the relevant authorities to create opportunities for the operators to go through the procedures and obtain licenses to operate in an atmosphere of peace to ensure the socio-economic development of the country.
A young lady, who was also at one of the sites, Maa Ajoa, also indicated that because of the poverty level in the area, most families depend on illegal for their survival and that any attempt to collapse the industry would worsen their plight.
Chinese Invasion
Wassa Akropong now has many Chinese nationals in the area, and most of the sign boards have Chinese inscriptions.
They have built their restaurants and stores, which are patronized by their compatriots who live in harmony with the local residents.
“We are benefiting from the technical knowhow and the expertise of the Chinese nationals, who are engaged in small-scale mining in the area.
“The Chinese have the modern equipment and the requisite expertise in doing ‘galamsey’ and we are benefiting from them. It is true some of them are mining in water bodies, which we don’t support, but the majority of them are doing genuine jobs when it comes to ‘galamsey,” the residents indicated.
In an interview with DAILY GUIDE, one of the Chinese, who spoke ‘broken English’ and gave his name as Anthony, said they had moved all their excavators from the sites owing to the directive from the Minister.
He mentioned that the majority of the Chinese have also left the area for their home country.
Anthony, however, indicated that the Chinese were ready to meet the minister to find ways of regularizing their activities and benefit from mining.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Wassa Akropong