The Asutifi North District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Anthony Mensah, has appealed to the Ghana Police Service for a reinforcement team to be able to clamp down on illegal mining activities.
The DCE said but for the reinforcement or its equivalent forces, the galamsey fight in the Asutifi North district in the Brong Ahafo Region will suffer setbacks as the perpetrators outnumber the security forces tasked to stop the menace.
His call comes at a time where an illegal miner, whose name was given as Christian, believed to be a Nigeria national,was found dead in a mining pit by security personnel Monday morning at Ntotroso.
It is believed the pit caved in on the 25 year old and some other illegal miners when prospecting for gold at night.
Some residents of Ntotroso, Wamahinso and Gyedu, which are in the district, told Peacefmonline.com the operations of galamsey are usually carried out at nights to swerve security personnel.
The DCE confirmed the incident and said the District Security Council (DISEC) had noted that galamsey activities were ongoing in the area at nights and were planning on pragmatic steps to stop the situation until the pit caved in.
"Everybody is aware that galamsey going on over there, but DISEC has tried very hard to stop them. There is a patrol team that goes there to check them everyday but the miners go there at night. These people know the area very well than our men," he said.
Difficult Combating Galamsey
Mr Anthony Mensah further highlighted that the security personnel he has find it difficult controlling the situation at night.
"You won't believe the way the pits are many at the site. Yesterday for instance, I nearly fell in one of the pits. It is very difficult to deal with them in the night. Our men are not sufficient to deal with this menace."
The DCE, therefore, pleaded with government to get them a reinforcement to help beef up patrols to control galamsey activities that is soaring in that part of the region.
<<Print>>