Chieftaincy Ministry to summon chiefs to Accra
The Ministry of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs will soon summon chiefs of lands where illegal mining, popularly known as 'Galamsey,' operates.
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The sector minister, Mr Samuel Kofi Ahiave Dzamesi, who disclosed this at Ntotroso in the Asutifi North District in Brong Ahafo Region, said the chiefs would be in Accra where they would be schooled on the effects and ramifications of that canker to both the environment and the people.
Mr Dzamesi was at Ntotroso last Wednesday to inaugurate an 18-member committee for the newly created traditional council for Ntotroso at a well-attended colourful ceremony of chiefs and people from far and near at Ntotroso.
Ntotroso is in the Brong Ahafo Region but is traditionally under the Ashanti Region.
Mining operations
Mr Dzamesi noted that the government under President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo had not spoken negatively about legal mining operations but was rather against illegal mining operations in which some diabolical elements destroy the water bodies indiscriminately.
The minister also stated that ‘galamseyers’ “pollute the water bodies with the chemicals they use for their operations and also refuse to reclaim large tracts of land.”
He reminded the people that it should be the concern of all to ensure that "we eliminate the menace from the system.”
Traditional council
He reminded the new traditional council that the inauguration set in motion the full operation of the judicial committee of the Ntotroso Traditional Council that had the core functions to empanel five or three members of the council to hear and determine chieftaincy cases filed at the judicial committee.
Mr Dzamesi urged the judicial committee to be circumspect in their judgement, stressing that they should give fair judgement at all times to win the confidence reposed in them by the people, since anything short of that would make them lose their credibility.
The minister advised them to use their council to bring the people together and mobilise them to undertake development projects to complement the efforts of the government.
The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Asutifi North, Mr Anthony Mensah, thanked the omanhene for taking the lead to raise the status of the stool.
He gave an assurance to work closely with the traditional council in its effort to develop the area.
Mr Mensah advised the youth not to take the law into their hands and urged them to respect authority.
A Sunyani High Court Judge, Justice J.B. Nabarese, swore the members into office and advised them to be diligent in their work.
He urged them to be fair in their judgement.
The Omanhene of the Ntotoroso Traditional Area, Barima Twireku Ampem III, who is the President of the traditional council pledged that the judicial committee would use the laws of the land to serve as a guide to adjudicate cases which would be lodged with the judicial committee.
