The Bunsohene, Ɔsaberima Abeam Brakatu Ofori Aninkra, has reaffirmed his commitment to protecting the forest reserves in the area and its ecosystem.
According to him, he would resist any attempt by illegal miners to mine in the Bunso forests because the place is known as a scientific research center.
Ɔsaberima Brakatu Aninkra revealed that in 2012, some miners wanted to mine in the Bunso forests, but through the intervention of Okyenhene, Ɔsagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin, and his people, they were able to fight and drive them out.
“I was then summoned to the Eastern Regional Security Council (RESEC) in a roundtable involving some top-notch government officials from the Ministry of Mines and Energy to put fear in me to permit miners to operate on my land, but it proved futile because Okyenhene was backing me in the battle,” he recounted.
He further stated that Bunso alone has three (3) Universities, namely Bunso Cocoa College, the University of Agricultural and Environmental Studies, and the University of Environmental and Sustainable Development, and they are all engaged in research.
“The aforementioned institutions, among others, have created job opportunities for over 3,000 people in Bunso and its enclaves, and if I allowed mining to go on, that would mean all these Universities would collapse, and their staff would become unemployed, and I wouldn’t feel comfortable about it,” he noted.
He stated that if he allowed mining to take place in the community, it would destroy their lands, water bodies, and forest reserves, and the Universities wouldn’t have land and forests for research.
Hence, his decision not to entertain mining in his community.
Ɔsaberima Abeam Brakatu Ofori Aninkra revealed that some miners paid him a courtesy call at his palace, claiming their government was in power, so they were coming to mine in the area, this move, he said got him peeved enabling him to sack them from his palace.
Bunsohene opined that a few weeks after their visit, they received information that some people had entered one of their forest reserves and were clearing a cocoa farm for mining, and they quickly went there to stop them.
He further stated that since then, miners have been coming to his house to lure him with money and indicated that recently, someone tried offering him ¢500,000.00 to allow mining in the forest, but he rejected the offer.
“I am doing this to protect the forest reserves for unborn generations. The government knows that Bunso is a restricted area, and no miner should dare think of coming to mine on my land because their activities breed criminality and destroy the community’s development,” he added.
Adding to the discussion, the youth in Bunso hailed Ɔsaberima Ofori Aninkra for the steps taken to disallow mining in the community. They assured him of their support in combating illegal miners to protect their lands.
By // Kontihen Kofi Oboh.
Source// Obohnewsonline.com.
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