The Head of the Illegal Mining Desk ‘galamsey’ office at COCOBOD, Professor Michael Kwarteng says COCOBOD will not relent in its efforts to stem galamsey in the cocoa production areas across the country.
Stating that over 1000 hectares of cocoa lands have been lost to galamsey, he said sensitization processes have begun to educate cocoa farmers on the adverse effect of the menace which is affecting cocoa production and the laws of the country.
Prof. Kwarteng disclosed this to ATL FM NEWS on Monday, October 16, 2023, when COCOBOD represented about 120 farmers from Kayrieku and Kotokyire in the Twifu Atti Morkwa District at the Cape Coast High Court who had petitioned COCOBOD to ensure that some lands demarcated for galamsey purposes destruction is reclaimed.
“We are still receiving data, but as we speak, I would say in thousands in terms of hectares, not even acres. So, it is costing us,” he said.
He said COCOBOD aside from this petition, had received a number of petitions from cocoa farmers in the Central, Western, Ashanti, Western-North and Oti regions for COCOBOD to help prevent illegal miners from destroying their cocoa farms, with some of the cases before courts.
Prof. Kwarteng indicated that the destruction of the farms resulted from activities in both mining companies and illegal miners, galamsey.
“We went around after having a rally with them and per our investigation, we got to know that about 580 hectares were marked for destruction. And some few cocoa trees were even destroyed as at that time.”
He said as a result of the petition, COCOBOD has initiated legal action against the miners and assured farmers of COCOBOD’s readiness to support them in resisting any attempts by illegal mining companies to invade their farms and destroy them.
He said per the Economic Plan Protection Act that was passed in 1979, nobody has the right to destroy cocoa without COCOBOD’s consent.
As such, the sensitization is to help ward off the destruction of cocoa and farmlands.
Meanwhile, the case has been adjourned to 21st November, 2023.
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Source: Anthony Sasu Ayisadu/ATLFMNEWS
