The Minister for Works and Housing, who also serves as the Member of Parliament for Ofoase Ayirebi, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has taken a firm decision against illegal mining in his constituency.

He said that no illegal mining activities will be allowed in his constituency, especially in water bodies.

Oppong Nkrumah’s decisions stems from the rising concerns about the devastating impacts of illegal mining on Ghana’s environment and water bodies.

Speaking to some of his constituents on October 5, in a video shared on X by GHOne TV, the MP said, “Today, some say that those mining in water bodies should be left to do so because if we ask them to stop, they won’t vote for us.

“I want to clearly say that if an MP wants to allow people to mine on his water bodies, we won’t allow people to mine in water bodies here in Ofoase Ayirebi because the water is what we drink,” he stated.

Nkrumah explained that he personally finances anti-illegal mining operations, contributing to about GH¢7000 for each raid, to combat illegal mining.

“Whenever they are going for a raid, they take about GH¢7000 from me before they do so. So, if someone somewhere is afraid to fight persons destroying our waterbodies, we in Ofoase Ayirebi won’t allow that here,” he stated.

He noted that there are legitimate ways of conducting illegal mining without causing harm to the environment.

However, he urged interested individuals in the sector to follow legal and environmentally friendly procedures, ensuring that the local ecosystem and communities are protected.

“If you want to mine, there is a good way to go about it,” he said.

Watch video below:

Kojo Oppong Nkrumah calls on DCEs and MPs not to shy away from fighting mining on water bodies... #GHOneNews #EIBNetwork #NPP #GHOneTV #ElectionHub #NDC #StopGalamseyNow #FreetheCitizens pic.twitter.com/cWPPU0kgzZ

— GHOne TV (@ghonetv) October 6, 2024