News:
January 23, 2014
Member of Parliament for Atiwa East, Hon. Abena Osei Asare has urged government to enforce the laws on illegal mining (galamsey) to the letter devoid of any favouritism to ensure that the menace is curbed or stopped.
According to her, it is not enough for government to arrest and parade few Chinese illegal miners while other such culprits are left on the loose to continue degrading lands and water bodies which serve as source of water for inhabitants.
Galamsey is pervasive in the Atiwa area of the Eastern region to the extent that it has resulted in several water bodies including the popular Birim River being polluted with all sorts of chemicals used in the mining activity.
Speaking on e.tv Ghana’s Breakfast TV show on Wednesday, Hon. Abena Osei Asare noted that last year the Anyinam water pump facility had to be shut down due to the heavily polluted nature of the Birim River such that chemicals could not be used to purify the water, a situation which caused a lot of discomfort to the residents as “water is life”.
She said though the illegal mining activity is adversely affecting the environment in the area, it is also becoming increasingly difficult for the illegal miners who are mainly youth to desist from that activity as it is their main source of income.
“The youth in the area find it difficult getting jobs around and so they resort to engaging themselves in galamsey not mindful of the future consequences their actions on themselves and the environment” she said.
Hon. Abena Osei Asare was confident that the establishment of businesses in the area by government and private persons to employ the youth will to a large extent curb or stop the illegal mining in the area.
Touching on developmental projects, the MP disclosed that she’s been able to supply fifty(50) streetlights to areas in the constituency which is connected to the national grid and hundred(100) solar lamps to areas with no electricity to enhance security in those areas while efforts are made to connect the rest of the areas to the national grid.
GhanaMPs.gov.gh