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Stop engaging children in galamsey - Minister

Jacobu, in Amansie Central District has been widely invaded by illegal miners, with daily reports of many children abandoning the classroom to work for the miners.

Some children practising illegal mining

The Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr. Peter Anarfi-Mensah, has warned against the use of children for illegal gold mining to support household incomes.

He said everybody, especially parents, must get it right that the place of minors was the school, but not the mine pits.

Mr. Anarfi-Mensah made this known when addressing a meeting with the chiefs and people of Jacobu, in the Amansie Central District.

The area has been widely invaded by illegal miners, with daily reports of many children abandoning the classroom to work for the miners.

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The minister, who describe the situation as worrying, urged all stakeholders to work together and with some urgency to return the kids to school.

Mr. Anarfi-Mensah was there to inspect on-going development projects funded by the government to transform the lives of the people and inaugurate a new office built for the Food and Agriculture Ministry and the district police headquarters.

The District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr. Emmanuel Dede Appiah, the Member of Parliament (MP), Mr. Emmanuel Akwasi Gyamfi, the clergy and teachers, were among those present.

He gave the assurance that the government would continue to make sure that no community was denied its share of development.

The MP for the area, Mr. Gyamfi called for firm action to tackle the growing destruction of the area’s vegetation and water bodies through illegal mining operation.

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He also complained about the bad nature of roads leading to the cocoa growing communities in the district and asked that priority was given to the rehabilitation of these roads.

The DCE however said the assembly was making some progress, particularly, in the areas of environmental sanitation and electricity extension.

Nana Fosu Kwadweabri II, the Jacobuhene, said it is worrying that cocoa farmers will have to travel long distances to Obuasi and Bekwai to procure agro-chemicals, which he said was creating a lot of discomfort for them.

He therefore appealed to the Cocobod to open a sales outlet in the town where cocoa farmers could buy farm inputs at reasonable prices.

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