In response to illicit mining, Okyenhene Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin has ordered the destoolment of Benkumhene of Asamang Tamfoe Nana Boakye Darkwa.
This came about after some residents of the neighborhood who go by the name Concerned Citizens of Asamang Tamfoe petitioned the Akyem Abuakwa judicial council on November 9, 2022, accusing the chief of engaging in illegal mining that was endangering the food security and way of life of small-scale farmers and polluting rivers.
The appeal was filed a few weeks after illegal miners in Asamang Tamfoe clashed with the Okyeman Environmental Taskforce during a community-wide anti-galamsey operation, resulting in gunfire on the streets.
Following this, on October 6, 2022, the Benkumhene conducted a news conference where he ventured to aggressively clash with the Okyeman Environmental taskforce, which was led by Chief of Akyem Apapam, Osabarima Apagya Ofori IV.
The Chief of Asamang-Tamfoe Osabarima Kwame Koh II and the Benkumhene Nana Boakye Darkwa were summoned by the Akyem Abuakwa Judicial Council in response to the petition, and they appeared before the council on November 21, 2022, for an hearing.
The Akyem Abuakwa judicial council questioned the Benkumhene of Asamang-Tamfoe Nana Boakye Darkwa during the court proceedings as to under whose authority he had organized the press conference on October 6, 2022, given that the Chief of Asamang-Tamfoe Osabarima Kwame Koh II was in Kumasi on that day.
Second, he came across a daily graphic in which the Okyeman Environmental Taskforce was threatened.
In order to make amends to the Okyenhene and Akyem Abuakwa traditional council, the Benkumhene accepted fault and bowed down.
The Akyem Abuakwa Judicial Council’s Okyenhene Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin issued the necessary orders for the Benkumhene’s removal.
“I order that the Benkumhene should not remain as the Benkumhene because he has defied the orders that I instructed the taskforce to protect the Akyem lands from all illegal mining activities”.
“The destruction of lands and water bodies going on at Asamang-Tamfoe, are you happy ? You did something wrong and Okyenhene called you and you refused to come, because of galamsey all our water bodies are destroyed in even Kyebi here, the same as Tamfoe, I am not interested in mining , I hate it” Okyenhene fumed.
Ernest Osae Botah, the secretary of Concerned Citizens of Asamang-Tamfoe, expressed his satisfaction with the judgment rendered by the Akyem Abuakwa Judicial Council headed by the Okyenhene and expressed hope that their concerns would be addressed after the substantive case is heard the following week in order to put an end to illegal mining in the neighborhood.
The petitioners claim that Osabarima Kwame Koh II, the Benkumhene, and his subchiefs have all been involved in unlawful mining utilizing foreigners while passing it off as community mining in the substantive matter.
People of foreign descent are dangerously indulging in illegal mining so near to the only transportable source of clean drinking water, the Tamfoe river, with the help of the town chief and sub-chiefs. In fact, some mining sites virtually reach the riverbed, inflicting the locals a great deal of suffering and harm.
There are rumors that the chief Nana Kwame Koh II is a member of the illegal miners, and on October 19, 2022, 5 excavators were seized as part of a military operation led by more than 25 soldiers.
The chief is said to own one of the excavators.
The petition said in certain places.
The petitioners want that Okyenhene summon the community’s chief and other complicit individuals and order them to halt mining operations.
While we make this request for Ofori Panin Fie’s assistance, we are willing to work together to consider other legal ways to stop this threat.
Additionally, the petitioners accused some political officials of participating in unlawful mining.
“We have attempted to defend and on occasion have defended the allegation that the Member of Parliament for Atiwa East, Abena Osei Asare, the Deputy Minister of Finance, the District Chief Executive, Mr. Kwabena Panin Nkansah, the former Chairman of the Atiwa East Constituency, Mr. Albert Antwi, and the Regional Executives of the NPP in Koforidua are responsible for this illegal act.”
Source: newsthemegh.com