Students and faculty members of the Bunso Cocoa College and University College of Agriculture and Environmental Studies in the Eastern Region are living in fear following the return of illegal mining activities in the area.
Illegal miners have invaded the University campus and have begun full-scale mining activities close to the hostel of students where the River Birim flows to the Bunso Treatment Plant of the Ghana Water Company Limited.
[contextly_sidebar id=”VzJzHys8zk9jWqdinFsQc7C0SlReolOe”]According to students, weapons the illegal miners carry on them and the noise emanating from their activities is affecting them.
When Citi News visited the exact area the muddy nature of the Birim River, dug holes and indiscriminate destruction of bamboo trees on the banks of the River Waa clear indication of the continuous mining activities in this area even though government announced a nationwide ban little over a year ago.
David Oto, a student who witnessed the activities of illegal miners right behind his hostel told Citi News that the illegal miners are not only destroying the environment but impeding teaching and learning.
“Around 3 pm the other day, I was doing something near the polytank and four young men came here, the greeted me and went down to the river and began their operations. Last week some guys also came around doing the same. I was in the room on Saturday when I heard the noise from their pumping machine which disturbed us throughout the night.”
The illegal miners are carrying out their activities in broad daylight and sometimes in the middle of the night, five meters away from the students’ hostel.
“We are really scared because some of them come here wielding offensive weapons and we understand there have been instances where they even kill humans as a sacrifice to get more gold so the majority of students here are scared”, a student lamented.
The Spokesperson for Students Representative Council, Ampong Christian said some students were almost attacked when they questioned the illegal miners.
“We are very worried about their activities because this institution is a science and environmental institution where the environment is of great concern to us, their activities are destroying the environment, polluting water bodies. I believe these guys are not working alone because the last time they came here, we raised alarm but they had bolted before the police arrived which indicates that someone tipped them off. The same guys later came back and almost attacked the student who reported them”.
The managers of the university are also concerned about the development.
Dr. Francis Awotwe the Dean of students revealed illegal mining was never stopped in this part of the country.
” The school authorities are very much concern and worried especially when you these people with arms around hostel of your students, they come to mine in the night and the noise they make with their pumping machines keep us awake. We are not only worried because they are degrading the environment but the fact that when you confront them they will fight back”.
Students of Bunso Cocoa College, University College of Agriculture and Environmental Studies, Seed Production Unit of Cocobod, the Ghana Water Company Limited and other institutions around Bunso, use and depend on the Birim River for irrigation, spraying and watering of seedlings and other research works.
From all indications, it seems the government’s fight against illegal mining is far from over.
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By: Neil Nii Amatey Kanarku | citinewsroom.com | [email protected]
Follow @niiooonii
