Cocoa farmers in Twifo Abodom, a farming community in the Twifo Atti-Morkwa District of the Central Region, are appealing to government to take urgent action against illegal mining (galamsey) activities that they say are threatening their very survival.
Their main source of water, the River Osene, has become heavily polluted due to continuous galamsey operations along its banks. The farmers lament that the contamination has disrupted cocoa farming, affected household water use, and endangered the health and well-being of residents.
“If nothing is done, we may have no choice but to confront the illegal miners ourselves to protect our livelihoods,” some of the farmers warned.
Assembly Member for the Twifo Abodom–Eduagya Electoral Area, Hon. Evils Ntikoran, confirmed that he and three other assembly members had already intervened to halt some of the operations. He, however, cautioned residents against taking the law into their own hands, urging them instead to report such cases to their assembly members, the police, or the District Chief Executive (DCE).
Responding to the situation, the DCE for Twifo Atti-Morkwa, Hon. Isaac Yawson, said his office had received similar reports. Investigations revealed that the illegal mining activities polluting the River Osene were actually being carried out in the neighbouring Wassa East District.
He disclosed that his outfit was collaborating with the Wassa East DCE to clamp down on the miners and restore the river. Hon. Yawson further appealed to chiefs and opinion leaders to support government’s anti-galamsey fight, stressing that community vigilance and involvement were crucial to achieving lasting results.
