The Atwima Mponua District Security Council has vowed a relentless war against illegal miners and pledged a sustained effort to clamp down on their activities.
The District Chief Executive for the area, who doubles as the Chairman of the District Security Council, Isshaq Ibrahim, led a joint security task force to crack down on illegal miners operating in the Agogoso River and River Offin in the Agogoso near Nyinahin in the Atwima Mponua District of the Ashanti region.
During the operations, the security taskforce arrested eight people, destroyed 15 changfan machines and over 150 tents, while 100 pumping machines,15 detectors and one excavator were picked.
In an interview with the District Chief Executive, Isshaq Ibrahim, on Wednesday, August 20 said the aim is to protect and sanitise the river that serves thousands of residents across the district.
He further cautioned illegal miners within the area to stop their activities and called on residents to assist in the fight against illegal mining.
“The NDC government and I are not against mining, but irresponsible mining. All the environment around the Offin River has been destroyed no proper ecosystem can exist here again. What we are doing is targeting their equipment if we don’t get them for arrest.
“We will come to the site quite often, but we won’t let them know our timetable because if we do, they will frustrate our work. We will ensure that when we come, any equipment that we find will be destroyed. The ones that can be transported to the police station will be taken, but those we cannot move will be destroyed,” he warned.
