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EPA urges traditional leaders to use spiritual authority against illegal mining in Ghana
via GhanaWeb5 min read
The Environmental Protection Agency EPA in Tarkwa has called on traditional leaders to utilize their cultural and spiritual authority to combat illegal mining, known as galamsey, in Ghana. Mr. Derick Ashia Logo, the Regional Director of the EPA in Tarkwa, stated that illegal miners are increasingly fortified and pose security risks to enforcement officers. He suggested that chiefs, as custodians of the land, could invoke cultural beliefs, taboos, and customary sanctions to deter illegal mining activities, thereby complementing government efforts. Mr. Logo also advocated for government financial support for community-based environmental protection initiatives and stricter accountability for traditional leaders who fail to protect natural resources under their jurisdiction. The EPA emphasizes that illegal mining remains a significant environmental challenge, causing destruction to rivers, forests, and farmlands, and creating security concerns for anti-galamsey operations.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by GhanaWeb.
Must ReadBernard Antwi-Boasiako, also known as Chairman Wontumi, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party NPP, has requested a plea bargain in his ongoing criminal trial related to the Exim Bank fraud case. The court has granted this request, giving the state and Wontumi until July 18, 2026, to reach an agreement. Wontumi, along with Thomas Antwi-Boasiako and Wontumi Farms Limited, faces four charges: defrauding by false pretence, uttering a forged document, money laundering, and intentionally causing financial loss to a public institution. The charges stem from allegations that in 2018, they obtained GH₵14.3 million from Exim Bank for a large-scale farming project, but no farming activities were undertaken, no machinery was purchased, and a document presented as proof of purchase was allegedly forged. If the plea bargain fails and Wontumi is found guilty, he could face a maximum of 10 years imprisonment if sentences run concurrently, or up to 40 years if they run consecutively, as each charge carries a potential sentence of up to 10 years.
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