Eastern Region: Four excavators set ablaze at Obuoho Fante
Some officials from the Kyebi Division of the Forestry Commission have allegedly set ablaze four excavators believed to be engaging in mining within the buffer of the Atewa Forest at Obuoho Fante close to Anum Apapamu in the Ayensuano District of the Eastern Region, on Thursday, February 13, 2025.
According to sources, the officials who visited the area Thursday morning around 9 am on their routine monitoring engaged the assemblyman for the area, who disputed that the concession owner was mining within the buffer.
The officials who then spoke to someone on the phone later moved to burn the four excavators and sped off to avoid attack from the community members who were massing up.
The Assembly Member for Anum Apapamu North Adu- Gyamfi Douglas spoke to Channel One News, stating, “The youth are worried and aggrieved because this manpower mining is their only means of survival there are no jobs here, so if it has happened like this and mining activities are going to stop at this time they won’t be happy.”
The Eastern Regional Minister Rita Akosua Awatey who rushed to the community to calm nerves has sanctioned immediate investigations into the incident.
According to the Minister, the Regional Security Council which recently met to strategize on how to clamp down on activities of illegal miners did not sanction the burning of excavators.
“We want the government to investigate this so that we know who was behind it and how it happened. We sympathize with you, so calm down and leave the scene after this place because your life is important to us. We do not want any clash after this so that we can focus on the issue to get the root cause of it.” she assured.
