Environmental journalist with the Multimedia Group, Erastus Asare Donkor, has raised serious concerns about ongoing illegal mining activities—popularly known as galamsey—occurring dangerously close to a police barrier at Wassa Japa in the Amenfi East Municipality of the Western Region.
Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, Erastus described the situation as “disturbing” and “dangerous”, highlighting the blatant disregard for Ghana’s mining laws.
“There is a police barrier where personnel are working every day. The mining is taking place on both sides of the road while the barrier is there permanently, but no action has been taken,” he said.
He pointed to the Minerals and Mining Act, which prohibits mining within 100 metres of public roads and in human settlements, stressing that the ongoing operations violate the law outright.
“This is happening right in the middle of the community—on both sides of the road—and it goes against every regulation in the books,” he noted.
Erastus questioned the inaction of the police, local authorities, and traditional leaders, stating that their silence on the issue was deeply troubling.
“Is it that we don’t care about what is happening? If that’s the case, then we should declare that galamsey is no longer illegal, so people can take excavators and go mining freely. We need to take this menace seriously,” he stated.
He also sounded the alarm over the environmental and health hazards posed by such unregulated mining, warning that the damage may soon become irreversible.
“We are sitting on a ticking time bomb. The land and water bodies are being destroyed right before our eyes, and yet those in authority appear indifferent,” he cautioned.
The revelation adds to growing concerns about the state’s commitment to fighting illegal mining, especially when such activities occur in plain sight of security personnel.
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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
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