Galamsey: Gov’t can’t fight it alone – Otumfuo

The Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has indicated that the government alone cannot fight the issue of illegal small-scale mining (Galamsey).

He said it requires a collective effort on the part of all stakeholders including chiefs to tackle the challenge.

To that end, he said, he would be touring the galamsey areas in the Ashanti Region and hold the Chiefs in the affected areas accountable.

“Illegal logging and illegal mining continue to affect our forest, it means that government cannot do it alone, we must all get involved and support the government,” he said while launching the 2023 Green Ghana project on Wednesday, May 17.

He added “My chiefs know I have been speaking about this and I am not happy about this in Amansie area where galamsey has taken over the area. I say to them that if you sit there and you don’t know what is happening then you are not fit to be chief over there.

“These are matters that we are going to take up again, we have to enforce it and I have to start with my chiefs and then the government has to deal with the other ones. We all have to take this seriously and bring this matter to closure.

“I am going to take a drive to those areas, Amansie to Manso Nkwanta. If I finish with that all the chiefs in that area may have to answer why that is happening.”