The Member of Parliament (MP) for the Ahafo Ano South West Constituency in the Ashanti Region, who doubles as a member of the Local Government Committee, Mr Elvis Osei Mensah Dapaah, has raised serious concerns over how illegal miners have invaded forests in the Ashanti Region.

According to the MP, it is unbelievable for illegal miners to invade our forests at midnight with excavators and leave with the excavators in the morning every day, as the Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr Frank Amoakohene, wanted Ghanaians to believe.

Mr.Elvis Osei Mensah Dapaah ,MP,Ahafo Ano South West

Mr Dapaah raised the concerns when he had his turn to interrogate a report presented by Dr Amoakohene on key regional projects, including the ongoing facility expansion and inner-road networks at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), as well as critical water infrastructural development, to the Parliamentary Select Committee on Local Government as part of a series of public. accountability sessions with the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council alongside various MMDAs in the region.

Dr Frank Amoakohene ,Ashanti Regional Minister

The Ahafo Ano South West MP grilled the Ashanti Regional Minister when he dodged his question on why illegal miners were still invading the forests after several assurances by the government that the forests were under the protection of the security agencies.

Mr Dapaah’s attempt to get a simple “yes” or “no” answer from Dr. Amoakohene on illegal miners’ invasion of the forests was dodged by the Minister with the explanation that he (Minister) was not in the seat.

The Regional Minister said, “I’m not in the seat. You want clarity, so let me provide clarity. There were laws that permitted exploitation and all that in the forest. Under this new government 10-point policy, we have repealed the law that permitted mining or exploitation in the forest.”

He continued that as part of the works, they had to remove illegal miners who had previously been permitted to enter the forest.

Mr. Elvis Osei Mensah Dapaah and some of his colleagues

Dr Amoakohene revealed that in the Ashanti Region, there was one forest that had a fuel station in that forest in the past government. “Respectfully, so as I speak now, there is no forest in the region that has those kinds of permanent structures that used to exist in the forest,” he added.

Dr Amoakohene, however, admitted that “the problem is that the communities that stay by enter the forest at night.

Then, when you come and drive them in the day, it is as though nothing has happened. So, these are key areas.

Mr Dapaah maintained that no one can enter or encroach on a forest midnight with an excavator, with the idea that during the daytime he or she will run back. Is that what is happening? The excavator is a heavy accoutrement. Is that what is happening now?

But Dr Amoakohene insisted that “I’m telling you that that is the reality on the ground.” That is the reason we had to establish the permanent structures for foresters.They (illegal miners) do, maybe you are not aware. From where I sit, as the regional minister, reports come to me, and we work with the security agencies; if not for that, we wouldn’t spend money to build permanent structures for foresters to protect the Oda River.

When the MP asked if the minister could provide names of illegal miners they had arrested so far, he (the minister) responded that every illegal miner who had been arrested had been handed over to NIMOS and the Lands Ministry, and they have their names and the capacity to do the prosecution…

The chairperson for the committee urged the Ashanti Regional Minister to name the illegal miners arrested to the committee in their next engagement next year.

The big question then is, what about those sleeping on the job and allowing illegal miners to invade the forests and mining in the night, according to the minister’s admission?

Mr Dapaah was not convinced with the minister’s response, pointing out that “In fact, I cannot take it as a committee member.”

It is not possible to carry an excavator; it is not something portable. You can’t carry it on your head. It is carried by a whole vehicle called a lowbed. So the question here is, we want to know from the minister the people behind this?

Mr Dapaah was very worried that even Chairman Wontumi, who has been licensed to mine… In the forests, has been jailed for 20 years with the simple reason that, though he didn’t invade our forests to mine, he allowed some people to enter the forest to mine. What about those sleeping on the job and allowing illegal miners to invade the forests and mine in the night, according to the minister’s admission?
Source:tntnewspapergh.com