President Of NHC Cautions Government -Against Granting Permits For Miners To Mine In Forest Range Reserves
The President of National House of Chiefs Ogyeahohuo Yaw Gyebi II, has stated that it is high time for central government to direct the officials of the Minerals Commission and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to stop granting license and permit to the mining companies to mine gold and other natural mineral resources in our forest range reserves and water bodies.
Freeman Koryekpor 
The President of National House of Chiefs (NHC) who doubles as the Paramount Chief of the Sewfi Anhwiaso Traditional Area in the Western North Region, Ogyeahohuo Yaw Gyebi II, has indicated his outfit commitment and readiness to put his paramountcy on the line to help President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in his efforts to clamp down on illegal small scale and irresponsible mining activities in the country.
According to the chief, since he has been installed Paramount chief of Sewfi Anhwiaso Traditional Area, he has been fighting against mining in the forest reserves and water bodies and stressed the need for a collective effort to totally rid the country of this menace.
To help safeguard the water bodies and forest reserves, Ogyeahohuo Yaw Gyebi II, stressed the urgent need for the government to ensure the complete ban of granting permits and licenses to the mining companies to mine or carry out prospecting activities in forest range reserves.
"It is high time for President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to stand firmly to direct the Minerals Commission and Environmental Protection Agency to stop their continuous habits of granting permits and licenses to the mining companies to carry prospecting or mining activities in all our forest reserves, l think that if the President do so it would help the government to end this menace," he further emphasized.
He mentioned that; "I am completely against mining in water bodies and forest reserves. Because it is dangerous to our lives and ecosystems. We need the water to drink for our lives. We need the forests to provide livelihoods for millions of people and animals.
"I believe strongly that this of my advise is become very necessary because if the government didn't grant permit to the mining companies to carry out prospecting activities in the forest range reserves, the companies would not know that there are natural mineral resources such as gold, diamond, bauxite and manganese in the forest range reserves.
"These existing practices are destroying our water bodies and killing our forest reserves. In the past we drink fresh water from our water bodies but these days all these water bodies were destroyed by the dangerous chemicals being used by these miners to mine in our areas.
"Our vegetables, or farming crops including the varieties of okra; which are green and white are contaminated by dangerous acidic substances used by these miners. The okra we eat in the past is being destroyed by the mercury and now we cannot enjoy eating okra any more because it is now hard in test, the Paramount Chief stated.
He pointed out that the economic tress in the forest reserves were destroyed through irresponsible mining activities of the mining companies, saying that the abundant fish in their water bodies were killed as a result of the dangerous chemicals used by miners.
He opined that although mining can create jobs, improve livelihoods and generate wealth, it cannot, and must not do so by damaging the very environment that produces the riches.
Additionally, the President of NHC, stressed that "Although we need money from gold to do developmental projects and programmes but it is dangerous and bad to even grant licenses or permits to the company to carry prospecting in the forest range reserves."
"If we did not wake up from our slumber to help the government to end illegal small scale mining (galamsey) activities in the country, particularly in our water bodies and forest reserves, time would that we will have water to drink and our forest range reserves would be depleted, and we would be trouble in the future," Ogyeahohuo Yaw Gyebi II maintained.
Ogyeahohuo Yaw Gyebi II stated that he has been working closely with the various chiefs, queen mothers and other traditional office holders in all hundred (100) villages and towns within the Sewfi Anhwiaso Traditional Area to fight against illegal small scale mining activities within his traditional boundary.
He re-assured Ghanaians of his commitment as the President of NHC to help President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to clamp down on persons involved in illegal mining, irrespective of their religious background.
He noted that they realized that mining in Ghana becomes a danger to the society when, after extracting the gold, diamond, or other stones and minerals, the land is left degraded and poisoned with toxic materials.
Following this development, Ogyeahohuo Yaw Gyebi II was quick state that he would work closely with chiefs and other traditional office holders in his jurisdiction and members of the NHCs to ensure that the government success of having a lasting solution to prevent the problem of illegal small scale mining that has destroyed the country’s water bodies and forest cover.
