The Paramount Chief of the Lower Axim Traditional Area has delivered a stark ultimatum to chiefs under his jurisdiction to desist from engaging in illegal mining.
He threatened to strip anyone implicated in illegal mining of his title immediately.
Awulae Attibrukusu II said the destruction of fertile lands by illegal small-scale mining — or galamsey — had reached an intolerable level, accusing some traditional leaders of either turning a blind eye or “shamefully” participating in the “dastardly act.”
“The chiefs in areas where galamsey is becoming endemic cannot convince me they are unaware of such wanton destruction. How are these heavy machines transported to the sites without them seeing or being told? Don’t they hear the constant humming of the equipment?” the visibly frustrated Omanhene told journalists.
Speaking after a Traditional Council meeting at his palace in Axim, Awulae Attibrukusu II declared that, “Enough is enough. This is the final warning. The Council has unanimously agreed that any chief found complicit will be removed without hesitation. Any culprit will have only themselves to blame.”
The Chief named several towns — including Awukyire, Kegina, Anagye, Nduabesa, Agona and Edelesuazo — where arable lands that could feed thousands are instead being “destroyed with careless abandon.”
Even his own property, he revealed, has fallen victim.
“Go and see what has been done to my rubber plantation. I will not tolerate any further illegality,” he warned.
Recalling a previous crackdown in which he personally led community members to destroy illegal mining equipment and arrest offenders, the Paramount Chief vowed to resume the raids — and ensure cases end in prosecutions and jail sentences.
“Perhaps the more arrests and harsh jail sentences we secure, the better our chances of reducing this menace,” he said.
With the council’s unanimous backing and his patience exhausted, Awulae Attibrukusu II now stands poised for direct action — a move that could pit him against entrenched mining cartels, and expose complicit chiefs.
