Western Region Forest Commission Begs For Weapons To Fight Illegal Miners Destroying Forest Reserves

• The Western Region Forestry Commission wants to be armed to enable it to combat illegal mining, popularly known as Galamsey
• Nana Poku Bosompim, the agency's Western Regional Manager, told YEN.com.gh in an interview that illegal miners now wield sophisticated weapons, making it necessary to change tactics if the war against Galamsey is going to be won
• This comes even as poor communities continue to bear the brunt of illegal mining activities

The Western Region Forestry Commission has echoed calls for the government to consider resourcing the agency adequately to enable it to fight illegal mining and other degrading activities that are persistent in the forest reserves in the Western Region.

This call comes days after a Forestry Commission-led operation shattered slum areas, including Abrewa Nne Nkran, Jerusalem, and another area adjacent to Wassa Nkran in the Western Region, which were used as bases for galamsey-related activities.

The Western Regional Manager of the Forestry Commission, Nana Poku Bosompim in an interview with Yen.com.gh said, considering the modern and sophisticated weapons these illegal miners wield at the sites, it has become essential that the commission is provided with protective clothing such as bullet proof vests, weapons, helmets among other gadgets to offer some level of protection to officials assigned on operations.

“Going forward, I think the Forestry Commission needs to be well-resourced. Just imagine entering the forest at 2 am, where you do not see anyone hiding in the thick of the forest, aiming a weapon at you. That could be suicidal. Imagine my forest guards team in the bucket of the pick-up, all they have is their field uniforms”, he said.

According to Bosompim, conversations on militarising the forestry commission should commence as doing so will be good enough to assist them with the resources needed to enable their forest guards to protect the external and internal boundaries of the forest.

“The forest guards who are to protect the forest are patrolling with their bare hands, while the perpetrators of these illegalities are armed with sophisticated weapons. We have seen AK47, Pump action guns, the one with the double magazine is far better than the one my rapid team is using. The one that has no weapon is using a locally manufactured weapon”, he added.

Bosompim believes the country seems to be doing little with the galamsey fight. In his view, this is due to the inadequate resources the Forestry Commission has. He argues that the time has now come for the government to invest in adequately resourcing the commission.

This call, he said, if honoured, will boost the confidence level of the rapid team to go after these illegal miners to foil their activities in the forest and the river bodies whenever deployed.

“At least, when these are provided, they will know they are protected by their PPEs and they can fight back when the 'galamseyers' fire, they can also fire back to neutralise whatever target that is threatening their activities in the forest”, he said.

Bosompim further said, if an armoured vehicle assigned to the commission’s rapid team is stationed in the forest, it will have the potential to hasten the quest to end the operations of the illegal miners in the shortest possible time.

He was quick to acknowledge the contribution of the military in all of the operations carried out by the commission to foil dealings of illegal miners.

Bosompim assured that, regardless of the scarce resources, they will not relent in their efforts to execute their mandate.

He prayed for continued assistance and protection from the military and sounded a firm caution to all illegal miners with camps sited in the forest reserves to vacate immediately.

“I tell the miners, get out. That is the language they understand. We are not going to dialogue with an illegal miner. They know for sure they are polluting river bodies and destroying the forest. If you do so, you will have no problem with us. But if you think you want to continue mining illegally, enjoy your 15 minutes of freedom. It is just a matter of time”, he noted.

He, however, advised that miners acquire the required license to venture into the mining business the right way.

Reasons why Chairman Wontumi’s license was revoked

Yen.com.gh reported that several excavators, pump-action guns, vehicles, motorbikes, and other mining equipment belonging to a company associated with a prominent Ghanaian politician were also seized.

At the heart of this operation were alleged links to Akonta Mining, a firm owned by the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, also known as Chairman Wontumi.

Wontumi has long battled allegations that he is involved in illegal mining, also known as galamsey.

These links led Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, to declare that Akonta Mining would lose its right to mine in Ghana.

Proofreading by Samuel Gitonga, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.

Source: YEN.com.gh