Some Ahanta Chiefs from the Upper Dixcove Traditional Council in the Ahanta West Municipality of the Western Region are demanding prosecution and a severe sentence for an alleged galamsey kingpin they arrested at Ahanta Banso and handed over to the Agona Nkwanta Police station.
Speaking to Citi News at the Agona-Nkwanta Police Station after the Chiefs handed over the excavator the alleged illegal miner (galamseyer) was caught devastating their plot of land with, the Chiefs who described their action as a patriotic one to support the fight against galamsey said they wouldn’t settle for anything except for a deterring punishment for the alleged illegal miner.
Citi News’ Akwasi Agyei Annim who was at Agona Nkwanta reported that since the destructive galamsey activity gained national attention and prompted a nationwide fight against the menace, several stakeholders including politicians, civil servants and traditional authorities have all been implicated as entities contributing to the never-ending illegal gold mining business that has devastated the forest and polluted river bodies.
This led to calls for traditional authorities to come clean by helping to fight against the devastation by illegal miners.
It is in response to this call that the Upper Dixcove Traditional Council arrested and handed over to the Agona Nkwanta Police the notorious galamsey kingpin who has been engaging in illegal mining acts with impunity for the past five months and in connivance with some unpatriotic persons.
Speaking to Citi News at the Agona-Nkwanta Police Station on Monday, January 23, after helping to hand over the excavator after the alleged galamseyer was caught, the Chiefs called for an end to all illegal mining in the area.
Meanwhile, the District Police Commander of Ahanta West Municipality, Superintendent, Joseph Akpasu, who received the Chiefs with the confiscated excavator told Citi News that he is unable to speak on the charges against the alleged illegal miner but would be decided by the Attorney General.