THE Member of Parliament (MP) for Prestea Hunni-Valley in the Western Region, Robert Wisdom Cudjoe, has expressed the fear that Atwerboanda Forest in his constituency may soon be destroyed because of illegal mining.
According to him, whilst the foreigners were engaged in illegal mining and destroying water bodies, others were also busily destroying the forest by felling timber.
“The devastation is huge, whilst foreigners are doing galamsey others are also cutting our timber”, Robert Wisdom Cudjoe told this reporter. He added that the chiefs from the village even went to the forest recently to warn them to put a stop to it.
The MP noted that some ‘macho men’ were organised to beat up the youth for daring to warn the foreigners engaged in illegal mining in the forest. The youth, he alleged, managed to seize one of the guns belonging to the ‘macho men’, which will be used as evidence.
The Prestea Hunni-Valley Legislator said the wanton destruction of the forest is not known to him alone, but the Municipal authorities as well.
According to him, he has personally informed the Minerals Commission (MC), Forestry Commission (FC), the Municipal Security Chairman (MUSEC) and the Regional Security Chairman (REGSEC) about the illegal activities, but there has been no response.
He explained that his decision to inform the above-mentioned authorities was to get them collaborate with him, by providing Police and Military assistance to help flush out the foreigners who are destroying the Atwerboanda forest reserve, in the name of searching for gold.
“If I have the police and the Military and authorities backing me, we can enter the forest and flush out the foreigners and also name and shame the ‘big men’ behind it”.
