The timely intervention of the Municipal Chief Executive of Ahanta West in the Western region, Ebenezer Aidoo, has prevented large swaths of arable lands at Boekrom from being destroyed for galamsey activities
“I have developed a proactive instead of a reactive strategy. Over the period, I have realised that many wait for calls before they go in. In most cases, the galamseyers are tipped off or can abscond by the time you arrive.
“So there is no element of surprise. I have mapped areas that are likely to be susceptible to galamsey, especially along our river bodies. So, I sweep in without any notice. And that strategy has worked so well,” he told ConnectNews in an interview, after news of his triumph.
Unlike the typical task force raids that are often telegraphed in advance, he stated that his method hinges on foresight and intelligence. Sometimes, while attending events in remote communities, he quietly gathers tips from opinion leaders and residents—information he acts upon at a time only he decides.
Last week, on Tuesday, on his way to Komanfokrom for a sod-cutting ceremony, Mr Aidoo passed through Boekrom and came across men busily clearing land behind the community toilet.
“When you look at the work, it appears they started not too long ago, but the devastation was still a problem. I got alarmed because it was close to the community toilet. Now, despite the land degradation, the activity also posed a significant health risk to the community, as the digging could affect where the human effluence gathers.”
Without his task force on hand, the MCE relied on “authority rather than force”, ordering the men to stop and reclaim the land. “Since I was not with the usual task force, I could not take decisive action on the stop. But I was stern with my orders. My plan was to go back with the full complement of the team.
“While planning to return, I was reliably informed that all the excavators had been moved away and that the group had begun reclaiming their mess. Perhaps, they had seen earlier raids, the destruction of machines and arrests that followed, and knew I was not one who minces words.”
Pictures obtained by ConnectNews, some of which have been shared on his Facebook handle, confirmed his account of young men backfilling pits and disturbed areas in Boekrom. “I went to the area days later and I can confidently report that the young men complied and are reclaiming the land,” he said.
After a candid conversation with the operators, Mr Aidoo pointed to a bigger truth that many of the young men drawn into galamsey are motivated less by defiance than by survival.
“The push and pulls that trigger galamsey are enormous, and I think the approach should be strategic. You will realise that these young men want to work. However, it cannot be said that because of that, we should allow them to engage in an illegality, one in which the consequences are generational.
“So the idea is that we will look at how to rope them into the cooperative mining scheme, where their activities will be streamlined, easily monitored, and done within approved standards.”
His actions reflect a growing realisation, as according to him, the fight against illegal mining requires more than brute crackdowns “one that needs strategy, surprise, and solutions that give perpetrators reason to stop,” he opined.
Since his election, Mr Aidoo has dedicated the last six months to ridding Ahanta West of illegal mining, which until recently was outpacing even the municipality’s rubber and palm plantation industries. Several galamsey-endemic zones have been swooped, machines seized or destroyed, and dozens arrested—while communities report a renewed sense of hope.
To sustain these gains, Mr Aidoo said he has instituted unannounced return visits to known sites. “It is reassuring that no activity is happening,” he noted. But for him, the ultimate victory lies not in raids but in reclamation. “Our next plan will be an actionable plan to help restore those mined-out areas.”
Galamsey Fight: It’s not enough to just declare the areas security zones – Bentil
By Eric Yaw Adjei|ConnectFM|Takoradi
