Nana Kwabena Oyiakwan II
The Chief of Kwapia, Nana Kwabena Oyiakwan II, has sounded the alarm over the escalating threat posed by illegal mining activities popularly known as galamsey in the Obuasi area.
He warned that these activities are jeopardising the safety of critical infrastructure, including the Obuasi Airstrip and the ongoing construction of a military barracks.
Speaking to the media after leading a joint operation of the Police and the National Intelligence Bureau officers to illegal mining sites, the chief said he was determined to help tackle the growing menace.
The operation resulted in the arrest of five illegal miners at Adaase, a farming community within the Obuasi Municipality.
Nana Oyiakwan II expressed concern that these illegal mining activities are causing significant harm to the environment and local development.
“Illegal mining is wreaking havoc on arable lands, creating life-threatening holes, and damaging vital resources,” the chief stated.
He pointed out that large areas of land originally earmarked for development projects, such as a hostel facility, have been overtaken by illegal miners, halting these projects.
“Around 3,000 plots intended for the hostel project have been destroyed, leaving our plans in ruins,” the traditional ruler lamented.
Additionally, the chief described how a local farmer’s oil palm plantation, meant to supply a nearby oil palm factory, was recently destroyed by galamsey operators, leaving the farmer with nothing.
“This destruction has gone unnoticed by authorities, and the damage is immense,” he said.
The chief also raised concerns about the close proximity of illegal mining operations to AngloGold Ashanti’s Obuasi Airstrip, which he believes is at significant risk.
He questioned why the mining company had remained silent on the growing threat.
The chief also indicated that the Obuasi Goes Agro project, which was supposed to promote agricultural development, was abandoned after illegal miners took over the land designated for it.
Nana Kwabena Oyiakwan II accused the former Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Obuasi, Elijah Adansi-Bonah, of being complicit in the rise of illegal mining in the area.
“The former MCE was deeply involved in the illegal mining activities here, and I will be pursuing legal action against him,” the chief said.
He added that the former MCE’s actions contributed to the poor performance of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the 2024 general election.
One Collins, who claimed to be a youth leader from Adaase, echoed the chief’s concerns, emphasising that the area’s potential as a prime residential location could be ruined by the unchecked spread of illegal mining.
“With the airstrip and military barracks nearby, Adaase should be a prime area for development, but illegal mining is putting that future at risk,” he warned.
Papa Yaw, a local resident, decried the environmental destruction caused by the illegal miners, especially the contamination of water bodies and the loss of farmland.
He pointed out that the community gains nothing from these activities, which have sparked nationwide condemnation.
By Ernest Kofi Adu