Residents of Akomfreh in the Atwima Mponua District of the Ashanti Region have attacked illegal miners operating between Akomfreh and Ntobroso, accusing them of causing flooding and disrupting electricity supply in the community.
The residents allege that the miners have blocked parts of the River Offin water channel through their activities, resulting in flooding that has affected movement and prevented authorities from accessing the area.
Speaking to Kumasi Mail, an angry resident said the entire Akomfreh community has been left without electricity after a power pole connecting the area to electricity supply from Ntobroso collapsed.
According to him, officials of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) have been unable to reach the community to fix the fault because the flooded bridge has made access difficult.
“The entire Akomfreh community is without electricity because the light pole which connects power from Ntobroso has broken down. The ECG staff cannot come and fix it for us because the miners have blocked the Offin River, causing flooding and making the bridge inaccessible,” he said.
He added that the situation forced residents to confront the illegal miners, leading to the destruction of some mining equipment.
“We decided to attack them with weapons, and we succeeded in destroying their mining equipment,” he stated.
The resident further claimed that some of the miners sustained injuries during the confrontation and were receiving medical treatment.
“We wounded a number of them with cutlasses, and at the moment some of them are in hospital,” he said.
Another resident, Kofi Anim Addo, expressed concern that the activities of illegal miners could affect residents’ ability to watch ongoing football matches.
“This is World Cup season. Illegal miners can deny us the opportunity of watching the games, including Black Stars matches,” he warned.
The incident has renewed concerns about the impact of illegal mining, commonly known as galamsey, on water bodies, infrastructure, and communities across the country.
Source:www.kumasimail.com
