The Overlord of the Waala Traditional Council, Naa Fuseini Seidu Pelpuo, has expressed worry about the spate of illegal mining “galamsey” in the Upper West Region and therefore, called on government to take urgent action to stop the menace.
The unfortunate situation, he said was not only contributing to massive land degradation, deterioration of the land’s vegetation cover but also polluting the few water bodies in the region serving as livelihood for the people.
The Wa Naa made the call on Tuesday at the climax of the 2023 Dumba Festival celebrations at Wa which was on the theme: ‘The fight against illegal mining: the role of stakeholders.’
He noted that people involved in the illegal mining were members of the community and therefore there was the need for the collaboration of everyone to educate each other on the harmful effects of illegal mining, and also call for a halt to the practice.
The Overlord used the opportunity to commend the security agencies for maintaining law and order in the region and called on residents to cooperate with the security services to help maintain peace in the communities.
The climax of the festival was the Overlord’s successful jump over a cow which signified a successful year and a long reign ahead.
The celebration attracted eminent traditional and opinion leaders across the region as well as politicians, diplomats, tourists and other members of the public.
Addressing chiefs and celebrants at the durbar, the Interior Minister, Mr Ambrose Dery expressed gratitude to the chiefs and people for their determination to push the agenda of ending illegal mining.
He said the government could not fight the menace alone without the involvement of traditional authorities, and appealed to them to support government in ensuring a galamsey-free country.
He encouraged the youth in the region to desist from illegal mining and rather focus on acquiring education and relevant job skills to enable them become responsible people in society.
Dumba Festival is an annual festival celebrated by the chiefs and people of the Waala Traditional Area in the Upper West Region of Ghana.
FROM RAFIA ABDUL RAZAK WA
