Ellembelle: Concerned cocoa farmers protest against “galamsey” activities destroying their farms
On Saturday, June 1, Concerned Cocoa Farmers in Ellembelle District took to an illegal mining site in Sendu to protest the destruction of their cocoa farms and water bodies by “galamsey” activities.
The protest was led by Benjamin Azachie, who presented a petition to the Ellembelle Member of Parliament, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, urging him to stop the forced takeover of their farms by illegal miners.
Grace Amihere, a resident, voiced her concerns to the media, stating, “the pollution of our water and destruction of cocoa farms are affecting our ability to sustain our families. These operators arrived without notice and have severely damaged our farms.”
She also called on President Akufo-Addo to address the issue, highlighting that farmers are now struggling to find clean drinking water.
Another resident, Ama Amihere, added, “they’ve destroyed rubber farms and cheated the farmers after taking their land by force. We urge the government to intervene as these actions are unlawful.”
The once-clean River Fia has been polluted due to the illegal mining activities in the Nyamebekyere-Sendu area, a concern echoed by Nicholas Kofi Mawuli, the Assemblyman for Nyamebekyere Electoral Area, who criticized the involvement of Chinese nationals in these illegal operations.
Following over an hour of demonstrations at the Sendu galamsey site, the Convener of the Concerned Cocoa Farmers presented their petition to MP Armah-Kofi Buah. The MP assured the farmers that he would bring their concerns to Parliament and encouraged residents to continue speaking out against illegal mining activities.
