Daasebre Dr. Asumadu Appiah, the chief of Akyem Wenchi, has raised significant concerns about the ongoing struggle against illegal mining, known locally as “galamsey,” within his community.
During a recent visit by Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia, the NPP’s flagbearer, to the Eastern region, the Chief expressed deep scepticism about the ability to eradicate the practice, citing the severe lack of employment opportunities as a major hurdle.
The Oseawuohene pointed out that the government’s efforts to combat galamsey, such as the Operation Halt and Operation Galamstop initiatives, have had limited success, as the underlying economic challenges remain unaddressed.
Without providing alternative livelihoods, the chief emphasised, it would be nearly impossible to convince those involved in illegal mining to abandon the activity, despite its destructive impact on the environment.
In his remarks, Daasebre Dr. Asumadu Appiah stressed the importance of finding sustainable solutions that address both environmental concerns and the economic needs of the community, highlighting the complex nature of the fight against galamsey.
“We don’t have any job opportunities within our community; the only job here is galamsey. As for the galamsey, it is not something we can stop if you tell us to stop. So all we are asking is that you give us good policies and guidelines to do it.
“That is all we are asking from you that bring us those policies. You guys have said we should do community mining so for instance, I have sent an application to the district to do it.”
Daasebre Dr. Asumadu Appiah also called for the prominent involvement of traditional leaders in the exploration of precious minerals in the country.
The NPP’s flagbearer on his part, pledged to strengthen the licensing regime if he is elected president in the upcoming December polls to ensure sustainable mining.
“I think we haven’t gotten it right. For me, I think we should help small-scale mining and if we can do it well, Ghana will also do well. We need a licensing regime to make it easy so that people can acquire the license to work.”
