Robert Agyemang Nyantakyi, District Chief Executive (DCE) for Twifo Atti-Mokwa has initiated processes to reclaim abandoned illegal mining sites in the district.

One way would be by turning the abandoned sites into oil palm plantations.
According to him, the measures formed part of the Assembly’s plan to ensure that abandoned pits were reclaimed and planted with oil palm seedlings.

“It is in our plan to find a way to reclaim the land and plant some seedlings on it to have a new vegetation in those places,” Mr Nyantakyi said.

He said it was initiated following the renewed commitment by President Nana Akufo-Addo’s government fight against galamsey in his second term in office.

The renewed fight against the illegal small-scale mining led Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor, Minister for Lands and Natural Resources declaring war against the activities of illegal miners along river bodies and within forest reserves.

Besides, over 200 military and Police Task Force have been deployed to carry out operations in galamsey prone areas and to flush them out.

Mr Nyantakyi said over 50,000 seedlings were nursed by the Assembly, and distributed to local farmers to replant on over 830-acres of farm lands destroyed as the result of the illegal mining activities.

He said there were big abandoned galamsey pits in the area, which had become death traps.

“It is about how we can reclaim those lands… A lot of big pits have been created and creating a lot of nuisance to the environment…They are death traps to humans as well,” he said.

Mr Nyantakyi said the deployment of the military to the area had helped in the fight as the Taskforce embarked on a number of exercises to arrest and drive away the illegal miners.

He said a number of machines of the “galamseyers” were destroyed in the operations and applauded the Government for the deployment of the military clamp down on their activities.

“The presence of the military is helping to reduce the activities of the illegal miners… The destruction of their excavators and other machines will deter others,” he added.

He expressed the hope that with constant visits to the various illegal mining sites and the unannounced operations by the military, they would be able to flush out the miscreants from the district.

“The rivers in Ghana are so paramount to the lives of the people of Ghana… we will fight till the latter…we will make sure that non-of these galamseyers remain on our river bodies here.”

Mr Nyantakyi denied allegations that he and the Presiding Member of the Twifo Atimokwa District Assembly were involved in illegal mining in the area.

“It is never true that any of us is involved in galamsey activities…My Presiding Member came to office barely one year ago,” he added.

He said the accusation against him was politically motivated just to tarnish his reputation and to deprive him of being re-nominated by the President as the DCE for the area.

Mr Nyantakyi announced that the District Assembly had put in place alternative arrangements to ensure that communities were provided with boreholes.