Tano North chiefs tackle police over ‘routine release’ of arrested illegal miners

Traditional authorities in the Tano North Municipality of the Ahafo Region have expressed deep frustration over the routine release of arrested illegal miners, warning that law enforcement failure is severely undermining local efforts to curb widespread illegal mining, locally known as galamsey.

The chiefs caution that unchecked environmental degradation has devastated forests in the locality and heavily polluted vital water resources, including the iconic River Tano

According to the traditional leaders, state institutions tasked with combating galamsey including the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) and the Blue Water Guards, have failed to stop the ongoing destruction across the municipality.

Speaking during a courtesy call by the Member of Parliament for Tano North, Dr. Gideon Boako, the Chief of Afrisipakrom, Nana Oboni Nkrawiri IV, detailed how communities in the area took the initiative to protect their environment, only to be sabotaged by law enforcement officers in the municipality.

“The frustration we are facing in this enclave is unbelievable,” Nana Oboni Nkrawiri IV said. “Our people, led by traditional authorities, risked their lives to catch these illegal miners red-handed while they were polluting the Tano River. We arrested them and handed them over to the police, expecting justice.

But to our total dismay, the police authorities in the municipality simply discharged them and set them all free. This national fight against galamsey is completely useless if the very people we arrest are routinely let off the hook.”

The chief painted a grim picture of the current state of the municipality’s primary water source. “It brings us immense sadness to see what has become of our beloved Tano River. Today, the water has been thoroughly polluted and is ruined beyond recognition,” he added.

Nana Oboni Nkrawiri IV further questioned the commitment of officials in the area and law enforcement to the cause, pointing to a lack of accountability within the Municipal Security Council (MUSEC), headed by Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) Pius Opoku.

“If the Municipal Chief Executive, Member of Parliament, the police, and other key stakeholders deny involvement in illegal mining, why are they not arresting the miners themselves?” the chief asked. “And why are suspects set free whenever residents make the arrests and hand them over?”

Describing state institutions and regional security apparatuses as ineffective, the traditional leadership issued a direct call for executive action. “We are left with no choice but to make an urgent appeal directly to President John Mahama to intervene immediately and save our water bodies before everything is lost,” Nana Nkrawiri stated.

He also urged citizens of Tano North, both home and abroad, to publicly mobilize against illegal miners and their backers. “If the community does not stand up together against them, the severe health crisis caused by these polluted rivers will never stop.”

Community members and local leaders warn that without direct presidential intervention and strict accountability within local law enforcement, the Tano North Municipality faces an escalating public health and ecological crisis.

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