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 Do not burn excavators; seize them! …President directs Task Force

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President John Mahama (middle) with members of the cabinet
President John Mahama (middle) with members of the cabinet

President John Dramani Mahama has directed the task force combating illegal small-scale mining in the country to confiscate excavators they come across and not burn them.

“I’ve told them not to burn the excavators. They should confiscate them,” the President disclosed in a meeting with members of the Christian Council at the Presiden­cy in Accra on Friday.

The new directive marks a shift from the approach where excava­tors used in illegal mining activities were burnt on site in the past.

The renewed fight against the illegal mining menace which has left large swathe of lands degrad­ed, water bodies polluted and forests depleted has come to the fore again, following revelations that illegal miners have returned to their nefarious activities.

To President Mahama, a more structured approach was needed if Ghana was to make any progress in the fight against the illegal min­ing menace.

He said it was estimated that about 1.8 million Ghanaians derived their economic livelihoods from the illegal mining sector which raises the need to create sustainable jobs.

Of the 280 forest reserves in the country, President Mahama said 43 were affected by galamsey.

A mobile team, he stated, has been deployed to report to the task force on illegal mining in forests and on water bodies to stem the tide of destruction being caused by illegal miners to the environment.

He said Government would soon convey a stakeholder’s dia­logue on the subject and discuss the deployment of new technolo­gies for sustainable mining.

With the new technology, he explained that “before you start a small scale mine, you must do what they call leach dam and then you line it with plastic and then you wash the gold water into the dam.

“After you finish…they have cleaning agents they put in the water which takes out all the toxins and then you can discharge the [cleaned] water back into the environment. So we’ll engage with the stakeholders and bring some of these new technologies to their attention.”

Chairman of the Council, Dr Hilliard Dela Dogbe, pledged the Council’s spiritual and physical support to the President and his government in the fight against illegal mining.

He said the Church partly takes responsibility for the menace and would embark on an education drive as most of the people en­gaged in the act were members of their respective churches.

That notwithstanding, Dr Dog­be noted that the political will to combat the menace was the most potent approach.

“We can speak to the moral conscience of the people and they can choose to listen or not listen. Beyond the moral conscience, we appeal to you, Mr President, to use your authority to say no to illegal mining and once you strike that strongly, no one will go across,” he entreated

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 Heritage Month Ghana trends

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Since the institution of the Heri­tage Month celebration in Ghana, it has offered citizens opportuni­ties of a lifetime to learn about their cultures and lifestyles.

Ghana’s version is observed in the month of March, coinciding with the country’s Independence Day celebra­tions on March 6.

Heritage Month features festivals, food fairs, arts, crafts, and music events to highlight the economic and social value of preserving national heritage.

Though a brainchild of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), the celebra­tion has been driven to greater heights by local media with the organisation of several events to create the needed euphoria.

Among the events are the Heritage Caravan and Back To Your Village Food Bazaar pow­ered by Accra-based Citi FM and Citi TV, Wear Ghana Festival and the Gɔbɛ festival powered by 3News.

The Heritage Caravan is a road trip which takes patrons across more than half of Ghana’s regions to offer a distinctive road trip that allows participants to explore the various re­gions of Ghana, providing an up-close encounter with the country’s histori­cal and cultural heritage.

In addition to these roles played by the media, news anchors and other presenters appear on screens immac­ulately garbed in locally made outfits, bringing out the beauty of our tradi­tions.

Today, The Spectator news­paper selected a few of the media personalities that are working to give the cel­ebration a global dimension to project the country.  

 By Andrew Nortey

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 MoMo vendor 24 murdered at Kwadaso

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• Mobile money shop
• Mobile money shop

 A disturbing crime has shaken the Kwadaso Onion market communi­ty in Kumasi, leaving family and friends grieving the loss of a young life.

Identified only as Junior, a 24-year-old mobile money vendor, was found murdered in his room on Saturday, March 8, 2025.

According to eyewitnesses, Junior had returned home the previous day with a substantial amount of money, over Gh¢20,000.

It was suspected that the killers might have been motivated by the large sum of money in Junior’s posses­sion.

A police source that confirmed this to The Spectator, said investigation has been launched into Junior’s mur­der, but so far, no arrests have been made.

The Kwadaso community is reeling in shock, calling for justice and an end to the atrocity that has claimed the life of a young and promising individ­ual.

Junior, is believed to be a native of Ejisu Onwe, and was known to his col­leagues and friends as a hardworking and diligent individual who worked at the Kumasi Race Course.

His tragic death serves as a stark reminder of the risks and challenges mobile money vendors faced.

The incident comes barely a month after Patricia Nimako, a 27-year-old Mobile Money (MoMo) vendor, was shot and killed at Krofrom, Kumasi in the Ashanti region by an unknown assail­ants.

The suspected armed robbers fled with the deceased cell phones and an amount of GH¢10,000 on Thursday, February 13, at approximately 3:00 p.m.

The two armed robbers reportedly stormed the kiosk where the deceased was operating and without any provo­cation shot her dead.

There has not been any arrest yet by the police.

 From Kingsley E. Hope , Kumasi

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 Learn how to prepare local dishes…Queen mothers urge young women

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• Some local dishes

 In a heartwarming display of inter­generational wisdom, queen moth­ers from local communities in the Obuasi enclave shared their expertise on how to prepare local diets with young ladies on the International Women’s Day event, courtesy of An­gloGold Ashanti, Obuasi Mine.

Beyond the fanfare, these revered women leaders took centre stage to impart a vital life skill: traditional cooking as they guided eager students and other young ladies through the art of preparing local delicacies.

In fact, the aroma of ‘Abunabunu’, ‘Aprapransa’, ‘Enuhu’, ‘Akaw’, ‘Tuo Zafi’ (TZ), among others, wafted through the air to the extent it could attract people from a distance, as the queen mothers entertained the young women with tales of resilience, entrepreneurship, and community building.

This year’s International Wom­en’s Day Celebration was under the theme: ‘Accelerate Action for Wom­en’s Equity.’

As the event drew to a close, the queen mothers gave words of wisdom upon their young guests.

From Nana Amoanima Dede, Queen mother of Adansi she stated that: “Never forget your roots, and always remember that the kitchen is not just a place for cooking, but for building connections and forging communi­ties.”

Nana Akua Dwum II, Queen moth­er of Edubiase, on her part urged the young ladies to learn how to prepare traditional dishes in order to preserve cultural heritage of the nation.

Earlier, the Managing Director of the mining company, Samuel Boakye Pobee, mentioned their readiness to roll out an “All-Women Apprentice­ship Programme, aimed at empow­ering young women in the Obuasi communities in entrepreneurship.”

He said the project would include women in basic technical skills and their capacity building to boost their employability to reshape perceptions of women’s roles in traditionally male-dominated industries.

According to the Managing Director, the mining company’s commitment “is to empower young people with specialised skills, and progressive knowledge to make them financially independent.”

The company, he indicated, was accelerating action towards wom­en’s equality at the Obuasi Mine and within host communities with the aim to build a foundation to create an inclusive and supportive business culture.

Mr Pobee expressed the need for innovative approaches and dedicated efforts to encourage and invest in women’s participation in all fields, including all levels of technical and operational areas and must be inten­tional and deliberate.”

 From Kingsley E. Hope, Obuasi

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