Nana Nanabanyin Queesy Ninsin-Imbeah II, Ex-Nyimfahen of the Mfantseman Council in Ashanti has urged chiefs to take a cue from the stand of the late Offinsomanhene, Nana Wiafe Akenten III against illegal mining activities in their areas.
Expressing his concerns in a chat with The Chronicle in Kumasi, the ex-chief said traditional rulers and opinion leaders in Ashanti region in particular, have a collective responsibility to help fight the menace of galamsey, in seeking the welfare of their subjects.
This role is paramount to compliment the efforts of the government in fighting the canker.
“If the late Nana Wiafe Akenten III, Offinsomanhene was able to stop galamseyers from his Traditional Area, why can’t colleague chiefs do same in the interest of mother Ghana and their subjects”, the ex-chief queried.
According to him, it is wrong for any chief to look on unconcerned for galamseyers (illegal miners) to destroy water bodies and degrade the land within their jurisdiction and claim that they are not involved in the practice.
Nana Nanabanyin Ninsin-Imbeah II, who is the National Chairman of the Ghana Highway Authority Retired Staff Association (GHARSA) has, therefore, called on chiefs and other traditional leaders to sit up and help wage a relentless war against galamsey within their traditional areas and effectively help stop the menace of galamsey activity in the country.
In the same way, chiefs would not allow their subjects to be attacked by terrorists, traditional leaders must also be seen to champion the welfare and interest of their subjects, hence the need to resolve and not to allow illegal miners into their jurisdiction to destroy water bodies and the land, at the expense of the livelihood of their subjects.
“The time for chiefs to prove their non-complicity in illegal mining is now”, Nanabanyin Ninsin-Imbeah dared traditional rulers.
He said chiefs must take a strong position against illegal mining and save lives. He also advised the chiefs of the Offinso Traditional area not to soften the stance of their late paramount chief against galamsey and continue to protect water bodies and lands so as to consolidate the gains so far.
He said they should work to maintain Offinso Traditional area as a point of reference for the fight against galamsey.
Nana Ninsin-Imbeah cautioned that if they allow the gains to erode away they would be subjecting themselves to public ridicule and exposure.
