Tensions have erupted in Oseneso, a community in the Wassa East District of the Western Region, where residents have taken the bold step of removing their chief, Nana Yaw Gyesi I, over accusations of engaging in illegal mining (galamsey).
Community members allege that the chief has been involved in galamsey for more than a year. They say they initially moved to destool him last year, but he pleaded for leniency and assured them he would change his ways. Instead, residents claim he expanded the illicit operations, bringing even more heavy equipment, including excavators, into the area.
Addressing journalists, Mr. Kwabena Twum Bariama a senior community member and son of the queen mother expressed deep worry about the impact of the chief’s alleged activities. He stated that the illegal mining has fueled teenage pregnancies, forced many schoolchildren to drop out, and severely polluted the community’s only river. The river, he stressed, is relied upon by more than 10,000 residents across 20 communities within both the Wassa East and Twifo-Attimorkwa districts.
According to Mr. Twum Bariama, these mounting concerns pushed the entire community to reach a unanimous decision to destool the chief.
Some residents have welcomed the move, saying it marks a major step toward safeguarding their environment and restoring sanity in the area.
When contacted for his response, Nana Yaw Gyesi I declined to speak on the matter, stating only that he would address the allegations at a later date.
