Dan Ofori-Atta, Secretary to Akyem Abuakwa State Council has lamented the impact of illegal small-scale mining activities across the country labeling it as a blot on the national conscience.

He reiterated the Okyenhene Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin’s resolved to contribute to rooting out the illegal activity which has negatively impacted water bodies and arable lands in the country.

“Galamsey or illegal mining activities is not an Akyem Abuakwa phenomenon, I think the level of destruction is a blot on our national conscience and Akyem Abuakwa has been adversely affected by this issue of illegal mining which is a national crisis,” he submitted on the Citi EyeWitness News programme, November 23.

He emphasized that the issue of galamsey specifically with respect to the Kyebi area was one that was affecting largely the outskirts not the main town.

“If you look within the Kyebi context, galamsey activities is not actually within Kyebi but the outskirts of Kyebi, the surrounding areas of Kyebi, where there are pockets of people who are still engaged in some illegal mining activities,” he added.

Weeks back, a viral video showed how flooding had hit parts of Kyebi where galamsey activities were ongoing.

Most recently, the manager of Kyebi Water Company reported to the palace about turbidity levels in water bodies and their inability to process potable water for number of areas.

The Okyenhene is also on record to have ordered the destoolment of a sub chief, Nana Boakye Darkwa, the Benkumhene of Asamang-Tamfoe, over his complicity in galamsey activities but that destoolment has been challenged by the dismissed chief.

Nana Boakye insists the Okyenhene was not the right person procedurally to remove him.

He also denied the accusation that he was a galameyer and in turn accused Okyeman and the Okyenhene of engaging in propaganda aimed at tarnishing his image and having a go at him because of his anti-galamsey stance.

“I have not been destooled. It is a false propaganda by the State Secretary and Okyeman and the Okyenhene himself,” he said in an interview on Accra-based Citi FM.

SARA