Residents in the Morso enclave in the Asante Akyem South District of Ashanti Region have called on National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) to stem the spate of illegal mining activities in the area.
They want NAIMOS to combat illegal small-scale mining and protecting water bodies in the area, which are fast becoming the epicentre of galamsey.
Already, the Apamprama Forest Reserve, Offin Shelterbelt, Oda Forest Reserve, Upper Wassaw and the Amenase Forest Reserve are mining hotspots in the Ashanti Region.
The Morso area is severely affected by illegal mining, as illegal miners are devastating the lands and river bodies without any restraint.
They are operating from Kyekyebiase and Bimma area, in the Asante Akyem North District, towards Morso in the Asante Akyem South District, along River Kome and lands on the borders of the three towns.
The report to NAIMOS follows the inaction of political leaders and National Security Secretariat in Kumasi.
A leader of a local Anti-galamsey Task force complained that the top political hierarchy disbanded the group, thus empowering the illegal miners to cause havoc to the environment, thus buttressing the claim of complicity of officialdom in the illegal mining activities in the area.
The residents consider NAIMOS as their last hope and that if nothing is done about the current situation, the farmlands and river bodies would be degraded at the expense of livelihoods in the area.
The Chronicle has learnt that some leaders of the miners were invited for interrogation by the police last Friday upon similar report only to be granted bail.
Meanwhile, the chiefs and people of Morso have declared their opposition to illegal mining in the area.
According to them, their position against illegal mining has kept illegal miners away from the area and reiterated their resolve not to entertain the destruction of their lands through illegal mining activities.
At a stakeholders meeting convened last week by the community, the chiefs and people condemned the practice where some indigenes release lands to illegal miners for their operations, which benefit a few individuals against the interest of the larger community.
The Member of Parliament for Asante Akyem South, Kwaku Asante Boateng, urged the residents to resist any attempt by illegal miners to take over their lands. He advised them to use all legitimate means to protect their lands.
The MP noted that illegal mining activities were persistent during the previous administration but the situation has worsened in the present administration.
In a related development, six Chinese nationals have been arrested by operatives of NAIMOS for engaging in illegal mining activities at Kunsu in the Ahafo Ano South West District of the Ashanti Region of Ghana.
The suspects were apprehended on Saturday, April 18, 2026, during an operation by the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS), which is targeting river pollution in the area.
The suspects are expected to face prosecution in court soon.
The operation and subsequent arrests form part of ongoing efforts by the government to clamp down on illegal mining, which is threatening Ghana’s water resources and ecosystem.
NAIMOS sources indicated that the individuals were caught mining directly in the River Nyaase, a tributary of the River Tano.
According to officials, the illegal operation was causing significant pollution to the water body, raising concerns about environmental degradation and the impact on communities that depend on the river for domestic and agricultural use.
NAIMOS officials also reiterated their commitment to intensifying enforcement measures to protect the country’s natural resources and curb illegal mining activities.
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