Adansi Asokwa: residents fear flooding as galamsey spreads to Agenda 111 hospital project
Illegal miners have taken over land surrounding an unfinished Agenda 111 hospital project at Adansi Asokwa in the Ashanti Region, raising fears that the excavation could damage the facility and increase the risk of flooding once it becomes operational.
Residents say miners have excavated sections of land within the premises of the nearly completed project, a flagship healthcare project launched in 2021 under former president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to provide district hospitals in underserved areas.
Construction of the hospital, estimated by residents to be about 90% complete, stalled following the change of government after the 2024 elections.
The mining activity is taking place close to several public institutions, including the district police headquarters, the district assembly offices and the district court, prompting residents to question why the operations have continued unchecked.
Assembly member for the Bawdwesango Electoral Area, Agyekum, described the situation as devastating, saying illegal mining was destroying fertile agricultural land and threatening a major public investment.
“It is heartbreaking to see illegal mining destroying our arable lands,” he said, adding that law enforcement authorities appeared to have failed to stop the activity despite its proximity to the district police headquarters.
Residents fear the excavations, coupled with the hospital’s location near the Jimi River, could heighten the risk of flooding during heavy rains.
Kate Adu Nyaanta, a resident, said damage to the surrounding environment could leave the hospital vulnerable to floods, placing patients and healthcare workers at risk.
“We are pleading with the President and all the relevant authorities to act immediately to stop this menace before it destroys this important national investment,” she said.
Another resident, Akosua Yiwah, called on traditional authorities to disclose those behind the mining operations, warning that altering the river’s natural course could trigger severe flooding.
Former Adansi Asokwa lawmaker K. T. Hammond, who said he helped secure the hospital project while serving in government, condemned the illegal mining and expressed disappointment that the facility had been left vulnerable after construction stalled.
“I cannot sit aloof and allow this nonsense to continue,” Hammond said, calling for immediate intervention to protect the project.
Residents are urging the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Minerals Commission and the Ghana Police Service to investigate the mining activities and halt further environmental destruction.
Despite growing public concern and the proximity of the site to key state institutions, the Ashanti Regional Security Council has not publicly commented on the development.
