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The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh, has threatened to report the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Suaman in the Western North Region, Christian Baah, to the President for allegedly superintending over illegal mining (galamsey) activities in the area.

The Minister alleged that the DCE was complicit in the resurgence of galamsey at Dadieso by allowing excavators that were seized from illegal miners and put under his care to be returned to the pits.

Mr Asomah-Cheremeh issued the threat when he led a team of military men to the site to clamp down on the activities of illegal miners who had invaded the area and were destroying land and water resources.

Some of the galamsey operators who were actively working at the time the team got there took to their heels before the minister and his team could close in on them.

They left behind mobile phones, bags and other belongings as they fled to escape arrest.

Complicity

The visibly worried minister said the resurgence of illegal mining in Dadieso was because the DCE had failed to play his role well.

"The last time we came here about two months ago, we found nine excavators and asked the DCE to take charge of them, but when we returned to convey the excavators away, their essential parts had been removed and we could not drive them away. I then tasked him to replace those parts.

"We later got information from National Security that the galamsey operators were back to work and so we came back unannounced, and lo and behold, the same machines are being used to destroy the environment," Mr Asomah-Cheremeh alleged.

According to him, the action of the DCE was at variance with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo's resolve to fight galamsey.

"It is the President who appointed all metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives (MMDCEs) and so they must not act in a way that will defeat the appointing authority's vision. I am going to officially report the conduct of this DCE to the President at our meeting on June 17, so that action will be taken," he said.

He warned that any MMDCEs who failed to support the government's fight against illegal mining would be dealt with.

"They represent President Akufo-Addo at the local level and so they cannot be acting in a manner that undermines him," he added.

Mr Asomah-Cheremeh further said all those who were still engaged in galamsey, despite the introduction of the Alternative Livelihood Project (ALP) and other interventions by the government, would also be dealt with according to the law.

Observation

The Daily Graphic observed that many acres of land had been destroyed by the illegal miners in the area.

The Bia River that serves as a source of water for residents of the area had been polluted, turning the water milk-brown.

The course of the river was almost blocked, making the flow of water difficult, while eight excavators were found in deep gullies that had been dug by the illegal miners.