Tension is mounting over a piece of land at Jinijini in the Sunyani Municipality, following ownership claims by three chiefs from the area.
The situation has been compounded by the forceful takeover of the same land by armed illegal miners who continue to occupy farmlands there.
The chiefs of Sunyani, Atronie and Wamfie have all condemned the illegal mining activities and called for immediate security intervention.
Jinijini is one of four communities currently under siege by illegal miners who have forcefully taken over lands belonging to farmers.
The others are Amomaja, Yawsan and Atronie.
The chiefs of the three traditional councils on Friday converged on Jinijini ostensibly to address the boundary dispute.
Some Atronie youth, riding motorbikes and wielding machetes, clubs and other weapons, accompanied their leaders in an attempt to protect themselves and possibly confront the illegal miners.
To their surprise, the illegal miners, who have occupied the area since Wednesday, were heavily armed.
Addressing residents, the Sunyanihene, Ogyeamansan Boahen Korkor, called for an end to the illegal mining activities and urged the security agencies to take decisive action against the galamsey operators.
According to him, the fact that the land in question is under dispute does not make it a “no man’s land” for illegal miners to exploit.
On the other hand, the Chief of Atronie, Brempong Diawusie Nana Amponsem Darko II, claimed that his people were the rightful owners of the Jinijini land and vowed to do everything within their means to stop the illegal miners.
The Wamfie delegation only observed proceedings and left without making any comments.
However, the Dormaahene, Oseadeyo Agyeman Badu, overlord of the Wamfie and Dormaa traditional areas, later told a press briefing that his subjects should desist from attacking the Sunyanihene and his people, assuring that the matter would be resolved amicably.
A Unit Committee member for the Yawsan Electoral Area, Stephen Ayaba, told The Ghanaian Times that some Chinese miners who came to the area to prospect for gold last year were chased away by landguards allegedly working for the Wamfie Traditional Council.
The Sunyani Municipal Chief Executive, Vincent Antwi Agyei, in a statement, confirmed the ongoing illegal mining activities and said the matter was receiving the needed attention.
According to the statement, the Municipal Security Council (MUSEC) had visited the affected communities and urged farmers to remain calm and law-abiding while efforts were made to find a lasting solution.
When contacted, a source at the Bono Regional Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) told The Ghanaian Times that no mining company had been granted a permit to undertake mining operations in the Bono Region.
The source described the ongoing mining activities in Jinijini, Berekum and Banda as illegal and said it was the duty of the security agencies to arrest the perpetrators.
During a visit to Jinijini, there was a heavy security presence allegedly mounted by the illegal miners, making it difficult for this reporter to access the galamsey site.
According to 50-year-old farmer, Ms Grace Benneh, farmers in the affected communities had been gripped by fear and unable to visit their farms.
Ms Benneh, who owns a 10-acre cocoa farm and also cultivates cashew, maize and plantain, alleged that the illegal miners had taken the law into their own hands, terrorising residents and preventing farmers from accessing their farms.
She further alleged that the miners fired gunshots indiscriminately to intimidate residents.
She said some residents of Jinijini had begun relocating to nearby communities, including Yawsan, for fear of being attacked.
Several attempts to contact the Bono Regional Police Command for comment proved unsuccessful.
It would be recalled that the Monday edition of The Ghanaian Times carried the headline: “Farming communities in Sunyani under siege … as armed galamsey operators invade farmlands.”
The report indicated that more than 500 farmers, mainly cocoa and cashew growers, were prepared to resist what they described as attempts by powerful individuals to seize their farmlands for illegal mining, thereby destroying their livelihoods.
FROM DANIEL DZIRASAH, JINIJINI
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