The Okyenhene, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin, has warned landowners within his traditional area that any person that releases his land to illegal miners will risk losing it forever.
He says illegal mining, also known as ‘galamsey’, posses serious health risks to the residents and should not be entertained.
According to him, the Akyem Abuakwa traditional area has a decree which warrants the Council to reclaim abandoned galamsey sites and keep them.
Addressing a durbar of Chiefs and residents of the Gyaase division in Akyem Abuakwa State as part of activities marking his 25th-anniversary celebration on the ascension to the Ofori Panin Stool, the Okyenhene, stated that measures are in place to reclaim abandoned lands for the stool to keep them for life.
“We have a decree at the State Council that, any land owner who releases his/her land to a miner stand the chance of losing it for life if the miners do not reclaim the land after mining. We shall look for resources and reclaim those lands and hold the interest in that land and nobody can do anything about it,” said Amoatia Ofori Panin.
He described as “unthinkable”, the fact that landowners could release their lands to foreigners to mine and destroy them and go back to their hometowns whilst the indigenes suffer the consequences.
He also mentioned some of the health risks associated with the menace which he says should be the reason illegal mining should not be entertained by anyone within the traditional area.
“Today some new babies are born with deformities. Some without hands, eyes and all forms of deformities due to the toxic nature of the chemicals left in our waters and land. People come here to mine, destroy our lands and leave to their hometown and enjoy and you sit here as a land owner and continue to release your land for illegal miners? It’s unthinkable,” he stated.
The paramount chief for Akyem Abuakwa traditional area further cautioned that in as much as residents have access to all lands available to them, they should be ready to release them for development whenever the need arises.
“Our arrangement is that all natives can cultivate as many bare lands as they wish and keep the land for themselves and theirs. However, if the state requires land for development, that land can be taken over and compensation paid to the owner. Nobody can resist development in this area,” he stated.
Okyenhene decided to tour the five divisions within the Akyem Abuakwa State and touch base with his subjects as part of his 25th-anniversary celebration.
The divisional durbar started with the Adonten division at Kukurantumi, followed by the Benkum division in Begoro, Nifa in Asiakwa, Oseawuo in Wenchi and Gyaase division in Kwaben.
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