The fight against illegal small-scale mining, known as galamsey, continues to be a significant challenge as miners persist in destroying water bodies and forest reserves in search of valuable minerals.
Despite numerous government efforts to curb the menace, a resident of Akwatia, Yaw Aboagye, has made startling claims about the involvement of officials from the Forestry Commission in enabling these illegal activities.
Speaking on The Constituency programme on Channel One TV, Aboagye, who has been involved in mining for over 25 years, alleged that the very officials responsible for protecting forest reserves are complicit in facilitating illegal mining within these protected areas.
He went on to explain that it is nearly impossible for illegal miners to operate within forest reserves without the knowledge or approval of Forestry Commission officials, who are tasked with patrolling the forests daily.
“When it comes to the mining activities of galamseyers, I think the government should pay attention to the officials at the Forestry Commission. I have been mining for more than 25 years now.
“If we want to tell the government the truth, the officials from the Forestry Commission are the ones allowing mining to happen in the various forests and this is because they charge them some percentages of gold, money and some other forms of payment and then allow them to enter the forest.
“There is no way you can be able to enter a forest reserve without the knowledge of a forestry official because they go on daily patrol in the forests. For example, if you go to the forest in Akyem Torpeman, you will find people there ‘working’. So, when they arrest such people, they say they were caught on galamsey sites they will never mention that they were arrested in the forest reserve. But the forestry commissioners who are paid by the government, are a major part of this galamsey menace,” he stated.
