There’s a brewing tension in Wirenkyikrom and Fomaso, two-bordered farming communities in the Kwahu South jurisprudence.
An investigative piece uncovered by Republic Press’s Andy Frimpong Manso has unravelled Galamsey’s activities attempt by some powers within the Kwahu enclave.
A visit to the site at about 6 pm on Monday, March 13, uncovered two excavators, chanfang machines, generators and several pieces of mining equipment.
The team, which was accustomed by some aggrieved residents – the youth of the area, met two stationed young men who have been contracted to man and protect the site and the equipment.
At the sighting of the team, the two men with tensed and feared facial expressions mistook the Journalist, dressed in security-styled apparel and spoke lightly to questions.
According to one of the men stationed at the site and identified as Simon, revealed that their foreman who was also identified as Paul brought them to the site to engage in Galamsey activities.
“We have been here since Friday. Our foreman brought us. We’re here to do Galamsey. Yes, we are aware we’re here to do Galamsey. We know it’s illegal but we have no option. I will oblige if you choose to arrest me because I know it’s illegal to do so”, one of them said while responding to questions posed by Andy Frimpong Manso.
According to Kwaku Somuah, a youth leader at Wirenkyikrom confirm that the Galamsey operators arrived at the area on Friday night upon which they mobilised and besieged the site.
“We don’t want this in our area. Aside from the land having its owner, we don’t want to hear the name ‘Galamsey’ in our area. If they want to use the right channel to mine, we don’t have a problem with them. You see the Chanafangs here, they are going to destroy our water bodies”.
He revealed that the land owner, one woman had sold her land to one Ghanaian leading the agenda who has been identified as Paul and some Chinese.
According to him, the Kwahu South Municipal Chief Executive, Emmanuel Atta Ofori – Snr is aware of the development. “Our understanding has established that the MCE is aware of this but we are waiting patiently to take our next move”.
The leader disclosed that the MCE, Hon. Emmanuel Atta Ofori Snr came to the area on Tuesday, March 7, a day after the independence day celebration. He said, according to his knowledge, the Galamsey entourage stormed the site with their equipment after the MCE had visited the proposed site on Tuesday.
“It’s a fact that the MCE to the site on last week Tuesday. I did my findings too. The Galamsey operators came to the site on Friday dawn at about 1 am. But we are calling on the MP for Mpraeso, Hon. Davis Ansah Opoku to take an action if he’s not aware of this development”, he recounted.
Additional findings revealed that most people in that area have sold their lands amounting to Gh¢50K per head to the Ghanaian leading this agenda.
“The MCE, a Chinese and one Ghanaian leading this agenda stormed area on Tuesday and went to that bush and we are aware that most people in Fomaso have sold their lands to them. They came with some men when they were bringing their equipment on Tuesday, we blocked the road but they were able to get to the bush”, he said.
The Fomaso and Wirenkyikrom youth have vowed to resist any attempt by any powers to undermine their constitutional right to protect their lands.
With that being said, recent revelations by the former minister for Environment, Science and Technology, Professor Frempong affirm the notion that Illegal mining termed as Galamsey is indeed being spearheaded from the seat of Government as Government officials have on a number of times in implicated in major Galamsey scandals.
The youth are therefore calling on the MP for Mpraeso, Davis Ansah Opoku and the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Abdulai Jinapor to take a swift response and ward off the attempt by some powers to deplete the area of its natural environment.
