The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Abuakwa South in the Eastern Region, Nana Adu Sarpong Addo Aikens Jnr., has called for prayers and spiritual support for officials engaged in the fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
According to him, the battle against illegal mining is not limited to physical operations, as officials sometimes encounter dangerous situations, which he described as having a spiritual dimension. “Pray for us. The fight against illegal mining is not only physical but spiritual. Sometimes we get spiritual attacks,” the MCE said.
Nana Adu Sarpong Addo Aikens Jnr. made the disclosure while recounting a recent incident in which he said he narrowly escaped death during an operation against illegal miners in the municipality.
He explained that he and members of his team were inspecting an area when they unknowingly walked close to the edge of an abandoned mining pit, adding that the danger became apparent only after they had moved away from the location.
“I nearly lost my life. There was a pit somewhere we did not know. We were walking at the edge of it. Immediately we left that place, the edge of the pit collapsed. If we were there and it collapsed, I don’t think I would be here by now,” he recounted.
The incident, he said, had reinforced his determination to intensify measures to protect residents and the environment from the devastating effects of illegal mining.
Night patrols
Speaking at a thanksgiving service in Kyebi on Sunday to mark his 32nd birthday, the MCE said the Assembly had intensified its monitoring and surveillance of mining-prone areas and is conducted during both the day and night because some illegal miners allegedly return to abandoned mining sites under the cover of darkness.
He, therefore, appealed to residents and other stakeholders to support the Assembly’s efforts to protect the municipality’s land and water resources.
95% of Common Fund projects completed
Meanwhile, Nana Adu Sarpong Addo Aikens Jnr. disclosed that approximately 95 per cent of projects undertaken by the Abuakwa South Municipal Assembly through the District Assemblies Common Fund had been completed.
He said most of the completed projects were awaiting electricity connections before they could be officially commissioned and handed over for public use. “We are done with all our projects. Some of them, we are just trying to get electricity to the place so that we can commission them for people to use,” he said.
The MCE disclosed that about 15 projects were expected to be commissioned by the end of September. The projects include CHPS compounds, classroom blocks, furniture distribution and about 25 mechanised boreholes, among other community development initiatives.
He commended President John Dramani Mahama for what he described as his support for local government development and appealed to the government to sustain its assistance to Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs).
The MCE also disclosed that he had allocated GH¢118,000 from his salary arrears to support 118 women organizers in the municipality with each of the beneficiaries receiving GH¢1,000 to establish or expand small-scale businesses while awaiting access to loans under the proposed Women’s Bank initiative.
Nana Adu Sarpong Addo Aikens Jnr. said the decision was motivated by his desire to use part of the money to support people at the grassroots rather than keeping the entire amount for himself.
“I looked at the money and said, I cannot use this money alone. What can I do to help people out of this money?” he said.
He urged the beneficiaries to invest the funds productively and stressed the need for hard work, consistency and honesty in their businesses.
The MCE also encouraged political supporters not to view political appointments as permanent positions, urging them to remain patient and committed to the broader goal of national development.
