Akyem
Akrofufu Traditional rulers and the residents in collaboration with the Anyinam
Police have visited galamsey sites on the Birim River and destroyed all equipment
used by the illegal miners they call “Chamfine”.
Akyem
Akrofufu is a cocoa growing community in the Atiwa East District of the Eastern Region.
Osabarima Adigye Gyamfi, Akyem Akrofufu Manhene says he has called the galamsey
operators to his palace and advised them not to operate in the Birim River but
they didn't listen.
“I
have personally invited them to my palace and discussed things over, ordering
them not to operate in the River but they never listened” Osabarima Gyamfi
said.
The
river which residents around the river boasted of in the eighties is no longer
good for drinking.
“At
our times, we used to swim in this river in the afternoon after school but look
at what the chamfine have done to our precious water” he painfully added.
Some
residents claimed, in those days, it was a taboo to trap and eat fishes from
the river. Due to that, they swam with the fishes after school.
“We
used to swim with the fishes after school but look” some residents said.
Meanwhile,
the miners now trap the fishes and give to their wives to sell them to
residents of Akrofufu.
These
fishes could be harmful to the consumers at the long run because chemicals used
in the mining process are all disposed into the river.
The
residents in addition says there have been instances where a galamseyer
got a girl pregnant and refused to take responsibility of it.
"They
are spoiling our kids ...... even if they get you child pregnant, they
refuse to take responsibilities of it" a mother said.
Many crops ad rivers around the river have
withered.
This,
the residents claimed it is as a result of the chemicals used by the
galamseyers.
The
chiefs and residents of Akyem Akrofufu have called for a swift banish of these illegal
miners if they continue to operate in the river.
Osabarima
Gyamfi in an interview with Nana Sefa Hwenebobo threatened to fall on the
illegal miners if they don’t learn from the destruction exercise that they have
undertaken.
The
Anyinam MTTU Chief Inspector Daniel Owusu has warned all galamseyers who
operate in area to desist from the act.
He
moreover urged those who have planned to come to mine illegally in the waters
of Birim River not to come at all.
Click on the link below to watch what went on.
Link: AKYEM AKROFUFU CHIEFS AND RESIDENTS VISIT GALAMSEY SITES, DESTROYS MINING EQUIPMENT
Source: Hwenebobo Newsstad
Comments