High court adjourns Atiwa East DCE’s “galamsey” case to 28 May

The high court in Koforidua has adjourned a suit against the district chief executive (DCE) for Atiwa East and other defendants to 28 May 2025 to hear an application seeking to injunct them from carrying out illegal mining (popularly known as galamsey) on local land.

In today’s proceedings, the court ordered the plaintiff to serve one of the defendants, Zakari Yakubu (also known as Azike), who, according to the writ of summons, is a galamsey worker for the DCE.

Background

The plaintiff, a limited liability company that owns a parcel of land at Ankaase, launched the suit against the DCE and the other defendants on 28 March 2025.

According to the statement of claim, which describes the DCE as a notorious and reckless galamseyer, Ernest Ntim Owusu invaded the land with his galamsey workers without the consent and authorisation of the plaintiff landowner and ruthlessly engaged in illegal mining activities, destroying land and a water body.

The suit further states that Ernest and his team recklessly graded and removed the topsoil, dug holes and formed several heaps of soil which they carted from one part of the land to the other. In the process, the suit alleges, they destroyed almost all of the crops on the land.

The alleged galamsey activities by Ernest and his team have created several dangerous uncovered pits on the land, the statement further says.

Impunity

When confronted, Ernest and his team admitted the wrongdoing and promised to remove his equipment.

He agreed to instruct his workers to vacate the land, but failed to do so, and the galamsey activities persisted, the suit says.

He and his workers have openly boasted that the Government of Ghana is afraid to stop their activities and said that no one can stop them from carrying out illegal mining, not even the courts.

Poisoning of river

According to the court papers, Ernest and his team are not only destroying the land. They have also, by reckless galamsey operations, destroyed a river body, popularly known as the Koben River, that lies between Ankaase Gyedam and Asaman Tamfoe.

The river provides drinking water for Ankaase Gyedam, Asaman Tamfoe and other communities. The court statement says that Ernest and his team have installed a water-pumping machine on the riverbed and placed a long water hose in the river.

They use the pumping machine and hose to draw water from the river and add harmful chemicals to it to wash the piles of soil they have graded or dug from the land.

They have also dug a long ditch from the galamsey soil washing point to the river. The ditch serves as a drain along which the extremely harmful wastewater from their chemical-riddled soil washing runs back to the river.

The extent of destruction of the land, the court papers say, is life-threatening because Ernest and his workers have created so many deep pits that they have left uncovered. They have also polluted the river with the chemicals and mud that they channel back to the river after washing the soil.

The 28 May 2025 hearing will determine whether or not the DCE and the other defendants will cease or proceed with their mining operations in the Atiwa East District.

Asaase Broadcasting Company airs on Asaase 99.5 Accra, Asaase 98.5 Kumasi, Asaase 99.7 Tamale, Asaase 100.3 Cape Coast and AsaasePa 107.3 (Accra).
Affiliates: Bawku FM 101.5, Bead FM 99.9 (Bimbilla), Mining City Radio 89.5 (Tarkwa), Nandom FM 101.9, Nyatefe Radio 94.5 (Dzodze), Sissala Radio 96.3 (Tumu), Somuaa FM 89.9 (Gushegu), Stone City 90.7 (Ho) and Wale FM 106.9 (Walewale).
Listen online: asaaseradio.com, Sound Garden and TuneIn.
Follow us:
X: @asaaseradio995, @Asaase985ksi, @Asaase997tamale, @asaase1003, asaasepa1073
Instagram: asaaseradio99.5, asaase985ksi, asaase100.3, asaase99.7tamale, asaasepa107.3
LinkedIn: company/asaaseradio995. TikTok: @asaaseradio99.5
Facebook: asaase99.5, asaase985ksi, Asaase100.3, asaase99.7, AsaasePa107.3.
YouTube: AsaaseRadioXtra.
Join the conversation. Accra: call 020 000 9951/054 888 8995, WhatsApp 020 000 0995. Kumasi: call 059 415 7985 or call/WhatsApp 020 631 5260. Tamale: call/WhatsApp/SMS 053 554 6468. Cape Coast: call/WhatsApp 059 388 2652.
#AsaaseRadio
#AsaasePa
#TheVoiceofOurLand