The Ashanti Regional Minister Dr Frank Amoakohene has given a clear signal of his readiness to lead the charge against illegal mining popularly known as galamsey in the region and beyond as he issues a two-week ultimatum to pepetrators to vacate water bodies and forest reserves.
The move by the dynamic young minister demonstrates a fresh breath and an reaffirmation of president John Dramani Mahama’s commitment to confront the menace head-on.
According to the Minister, the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council will deploy a team to enforce the directive and halt mining activities in these protected areas.
Speaking at his maiden media briefing after assuming office, Dr. Amoakohene outlined key measures to combat illegal mining and ensure strict compliance with environmental regulations.
“The President [John Dramani Mahama] has issued a directive that anyone in the forest reserves mining should vacate those places. We’re giving them up to two weeks if you are mining within forest reserves and if you don’t want to be on the other side of the law, you have two weeks to vacate or leave those places.
The other area has to do with water bodies, so we’re giving them two weeks, if you have any investment whatsoever and you are on water bodies polluting them and destroying our water bodies, you have two weeks to leave the space. We will send out a team to ensure normalcy and restore order within the mining sector.”
Dr Amoakohene has also identified a total of 618 stalled infrastructural projects across the region and assured of working to get them completed.
He also assred of hisresolve to work in collaboration with other regional ministers who have rivers with tributes connecting the ashanti region for an effective fight.
