REGIONAL MINISTER ENGAGES BEREKUM WEST ON ACCOUNTABILITY TOUR, CALLS FOR ACTION AGAINST GALAMSEY

The Bono Regional Minister, Hon. Joseph Addae Akwaboa, has called on residents and traditional leaders in the Amomaso and Benkasa communities within the Berekum West District to cooperate with authorities in addressing illegal mining (galamsey) activities in the area.

Speaking during a community durbar held at Jinijini on 8th May 2026 as part of his “Accounting to the People” tour, the Minister urged residents to promptly report suspected illegal mining operations to security agencies or the District Assembly to facilitate timely intervention.

According to Hon. Akwaboa, effective enforcement against illegal mining largely depends on information provided by local communities. He explained that the ability of security agencies to respond quickly is often influenced by the availability of reliable intelligence from residents.

The Regional Minister stated that government efforts to address illegal mining in the affected communities had been intensified, adding that a security taskforce had been constituted to monitor and disrupt unlawful mining activities in the area.

He further advised residents not to allow individuals to use the names of government officials as justification for engaging in unauthorized mining operations. He stressed that any approved mining activity undertaken by government institutions would be communicated officially to the affected communities.

Hon. Akwaboa reiterated that neither the government nor the Bono Regional Coordinating Council supports illegal mining activities, emphasizing the need to protect forest reserves and safeguard the environment.

The durbar formed part of the Regional Minister’s district engagement tour aimed at promoting accountability, transparency, and citizen participation in governance.

Prior to the community engagement, the Minister, together with the Berekum West District Chief Executive, Hon. Collins Asoma, and other officials, inspected a number of ongoing development projects across the district. The inspection covered infrastructure projects in Senior High and Basic schools, water and sanitation facilities, Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds, road projects, agricultural initiatives, as well as youth employment and skills training programmes.