The caretaker Chief of Dwenewoho in the Nwabiagya South District of the Ashanti Region, Nana Ampofo Twumasi, has said chiefs cannot stop community mining initiated by the government to address unemployment among the youth.
According to him, mining in the Dwenewoho enclave fell under the Community Mining Scheme, which the Asakraka, Adankwame, Ntabanmu communities were all engaged in with the consent and approval of his Overlord, Nana Sarfo Kantanka Appiah, Chief of Akropong.
The Chief said all neighbouring communities, including Adankwame,
Mfensi, Mankranso, Kunsu, Asempanaye and Bredi, were engaged in mining and did not see anything wrong if the mined areas at Dwenewoho were reclaimed as required under the scheme.
Nana Ampofo Twumasi said mining at Dwenewoho could not be illegal, since it was being done responsibly as designed under the Community Mining Scheme.
The Chief, who was reacting to his involvement in illegal mining in the area by some Chinese nationals, said responsible mining was not illegal.
“Responsible mining by way of reclamation is accepted,” he said.
The Assembly Member for Assempanaye Electoral Area, Emmanuel Kobi, also corroborated the position of the Dwenewoho Odikro, and said mining at Kunsu, Sabronum, Mankranso, Ahwerewam and Attakrom in Ahafo Ano South and Ahafo Ano South East districts was not illegal.
According to him, the District Chief Executive was aware of the operations of a community mining in most of the communities which was permissible.
Meanwhile, the youth of Dwenewoho have petitioned President Akufo-Addo to take drastic measures to stop the menace of galamsey (illegal mining), which had destroyed most of their farmlands.
The youth claimed no compensation had been paid by the Chinese nationals for the destruction of their farms and river bodies, including the Asikasu and Betinko rivers.
They also claimed the rivers had been polluted and the land area degraded, thus affecting the livelihood of the residents
