Even in the wake of renewed calls for a ban to be placed on all forms of small-scale mining activities, new illegal mining sites keep emerging.
The latest forest reserve to be invaded by these illegal miners is the Asenanyo Forest Reserve. In just five days, more than a hectare of the forest has been destroyed with excavation works.
1.63 hectares of compartment 147 of the forest reserve is gone in just five days. Hundreds of trees have been cut down illegally to pave way for an unlicensed mining activity.
This forest reserve, located within the Nkawie forest district is being destroyed with impunity despite the investment made by the Forestry Commission to nurture essential trees in it.
Other reserves, such as the Nkwanten section of the Jimira Forest is now a no-go area for even forestry officials because the miners are armed to the teeth.
The unwanton invasion of the reserves, according to the Forestry Commission, is disturbing and threatening forest management sustainability.
The Nkawie district forest manager, Abraham Essel explained the mode of operation by these illegal miners to TV3’s reporter, Ibrahim Abubakar.
“Illegal mining has been a bane on sustainable forest management and the modus operandi of the perpetrators in recent time is life-threatening. They first come and secure the area at the night and then they secure with heavily built armed guards and so by the time you wake up and want to enter the reserve, they have already secured the reserve and you cannot enter so that is the level of destruction that people are now perpetrating the crime,” he said.
The fight against the illegal miners appears to be beyond the forestry officials in the Nkawie district.
“What they are doing has even moved from the forestry point of view to a security issue. You come to the forest and you see heavily built guys wielding offensive weapons. This is not a forestry matter; it is a security matter,” Abraham Essel added.
The district security council is now seeking the assistance of the regional security council to end the menace.
But whilst awaiting the intervention of REGSEC, the district forest management has reached out to the traditional authorities for help.
Some of the traditional leaders who visited the affected part of the forest to assess the level of destruction pledged their unflinching support in bringing an end to the menace.
“We are the custodians of the land. We will ensure that, the caretaker chief of this area will be held liable and face the appropriate punishment” Nkawie Mawerehene, Okofo Baffuor Twumasi stated.
Nana Appiah Danquah, Nkawie Abusuapanin also indicated that “we will not allow this destruction to continue. We have directed the forest fringe communities to be alert and inform us anytime someone enters the forest illegally.”
The Forestry Commission fears, all the gains made in protecting and enriching the country’s reserves may be a wasted effort if galamsey is not stopped once and for all.
