Mr Kwasi Amoako-Attah, Member of Parliament (MP) for the Atiwa West Constituency in the Eastern Region has tagged the fight against illegal mining “galamsey” as the biggest challenge of his constituency in 2013.

Mr Amoako-Attah told the Ghana News Agency in an interview at Akyem-Awenare in the Atiwa District that even though he was not against mining since it was a source of employment for the youth.

“Am against the wanton destruction of forests, pollution of water bodies like the Birim River and land degradation through illegal gold mining…this is totally unacceptable,” he stated.

Mr Amoako-Attah therefore appealed to those engaged in the industry to operate through laid down rules and regulations and ensure that all mined-out areas were covered since leaving them in the open served as death traps.

He stated that his major preoccupation since becoming a representative of the people in the area had been building a strong and united community, where both indigenes and settlers saw themselves as one people to promote the growth of the constituency.

Mr Amoako-Attah said in 2014 he would continue to concentrate on lobbying for the rehabilitation of the road network in the area which he described as very bad, citing the 12-kilometre Anyinam to Kwabeng, the district capital and to Sankubease as examples.

Another area he would vigorously pursue, he said, would be the construction of more Community-based Health and Planning Services (CHPS) compounds to bring health to the doorsteps of the people, the provision of refrigerators and electric generators in health facilities to assist in the storage of essential drugs and the improvement of sanitation.

Mr Amoako-Atta disclosed that he had associated himself with the district health directorate’s position of “zero tolerance for maternal mortality” and had therefore, constructed an ultra-modern maternity ward at the Kwabeng Health Centre, which he would commission next month.

On education, he said, he will continue with the provision of laptop computers and books to schools in the area and hinted that even though Moseaso is outside his constituency, in February 2014, he would commission a six-unit classroom block for the Methodist Junior High School which he started before Atiwa was divided into East and West in 2012.