Seth Kwame Acheampong, Eastern Regional Minister
The Eastern Regional Minister, Seth Kwame Acheampong, has reiterated government’s determination to fight all mining activities that go contrary to the regulations, such as mining along river banks and forests reserves, in order to save ecosystem from further deteriorating.
“What I want to plead with all of us, every person who is plying the trade, is that we are not against mining, but we are against mining activities which are not regulated by a governing State like Ghana which is governed by rule of law,” he stressed, adding that the law would come after anybody who breaks it.
Mr Acheampong said this when he accompanied the Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Dapaah, to tour three water treatments plants along Birim River. The objective of her visit was to look at the conditions of the water treatment plants of Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) and also assess the state of the water bodies in the region.
Improvement
Speaking to the media after the tour, Madam Cecilia Dapaa emphasized government’s commitments to improving the standard of living of Ghanaians.
She was particularly happy about the state of cleanliness of the Kyebi township, and applauded the Okyenhene for his efforts in environmental issues.
She mentioned that due to the efforts of Okyenhene, the turbidity level of water at the treatment site at Kyebi, from 2009 till date, had improved tremendously from five to 35 turbidity ratio. The water treatment plants in Osino and Bunso, however, have not improved.
Water treatments
Madam Dapaah indicated that government intends to source for loan to build additional eight water treatment plants across the country to serve 4.5 million Ghanaians, as part of the vision to provide water for all by 2030.
At Ofori Panin Fie, the Okyenhene stressed the need for increased decentralization to decongest Accra and create jobs for the youth. He queried why ministries such as Forestry, Lands and Natural Resources, Agriculture, Environment, Science and Technology, among others, should not be moved to the other regions.
The Okyenhene recounted the fact that, in the olden days when the laws were not rigid, people respected the laws of nature and farmlands were sited 200 feet from water sources and life expectancy was 90 years and above but that is not the case currently.
He therefore applauded the President for his fight against galamsey and the introduction of programmes such as Planting for Food and Jobs, trees planting, among others.
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