Creating employment opportunities for the youths has significantly reduced galamsey activities in Dormaa East – Presiding Member

Creating employment opportunities for the youths has significantly reduced galamsey activities in Dormaa East – Presiding Member

The Presiding Member of the Dormaa East District Assembly in the Bono Region, Hon. Alan Afi Isaac, has indicated that the current leadership of the Dormaa East District Assembly has made significant efforts to mitigate the issue of illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, in the area. This initiative aims to protect the district’s natural resources and secure the future of its youth.

He noted that the previous District Chief Executive of Dormaa East, Hon. Emmanuel Kofi Agyemang, along with security forces, conducted a series of operations against illegal miners at galamsey sites. However, these efforts did not yield positive outcomes and merely resulted in a waste of funds intended for development. The miners would be expelled one day, only to return the next, due to the lack of available employment opportunities.

In response, the current administration has devised a plan to pursue irrigation projects for farmers, enabling them to engage in continuous farming activities. According to him, this initiative is expected to attract many illegal miners who have an interest in agriculture, drawing them away from mining sites and encouraging them to explore new ventures in farming. He emphasized that the Assembly, in collaboration with Nananom, is undertaking this project to help the youth develop a diminished interest in illegal mining.

Hon. Alan Afi Isaac mentioned that the Assembly, through the National Youth Authority’s National Apprenticeship Program, has provided numerous youths with the opportunity to receive training in vocational and technical skills. This initiative, complemented by the Youth Employment Agency’s intensified awareness efforts, has encouraged young individuals to transition from galamsey sites to participate in the free Apprenticeship Program. This program aims to equip them with skills to build their futures without causing harm to water bodies and other natural resources. Beneficiaries are also provided with free equipment upon completing their training courses, along with monthly stipends to support their livelihood during the training period. This initiative reflects President Mahama and the National Democratic Congress’s commitment to ensuring a sustainable future for the youth.

Furthermore, he disclosed that 108 beneficiaries from the first batch of the skills training program will soon graduate, allowing a new group to commence their training. He emphasized that this intervention has successfully redirected numerous youths from galamsey sites towards learning trades and crafts.

The Presiding Member concluded that the recent disorder caused by an unidentified task force, which has been operating under the guise of certain local Chiefs to inflict physical and other forms of damage upon illegal miners in the name of combating galamsey, has been brought under control. He emphasized that galamsey activities have significantly decreased in Dormaa East due to the introduction of blue water guards to the District.

Furthermore, he highlighted that the initiation of the second phase of the Free Apprenticeship Program will ultimately minimize galamsey activities to the greatest extent possible. He stated that the Dormaa East District Assembly has declared a firm stance against illegal mining in the area.

Story By: Kwaku Mensah Abrampa (GIFTs FM-Dormaa Ahenkro)