Dunkwa-on-Offin (C/R)-Ghana, Oct 26, GNA – Rigorous illegal small scale mining on the River Offin is affecting academic work at the Dunkwa TI Ahmadiyya Basic School.
The illegal mining site, 100 meters from the school, produces noise, making it difficult for students to concentrate during class hours.
As at 1000 hours when the Ghana News Agency (GNA) visited the school premises on Tuesday, the illegal miners, otherwise known as ‘’galamsey’’ were seen engaging in their activities with impunity on the Offin river, contaminating the water.
The teachers were compelled to shout at the top of their voices as the pupils kept complaining they could not hear, due to the noise from the huge “chafang” machines.
The small-scale illegal miners also chat on top of their voices further aggravating the situation.
Mr Samuel Ewusi Quansah, the headmaster of the school, said management had engaged the authorities and relevant stakeholders over the issue but to no avail.
The management received threats from the illegal miners anytime they spoke on the issue to the media.
Beauty Affum, a class six pupil, spoke about how difficult it was for the pupils to learn in that condition.
“We normally do not hear what the teacher says but cannot complain much because it is not the fault of our teachers,” she said and called on the Government to intervene to halt the activities of the illegal miners.
Effraim Obeng, a form-one Junior High Student, described the situation as stressful.
He said they experienced that every day, which affected their academic and personal wellbeing.
He called on the Municipal Chief Executive to go to their aid saying they would be forced to go on demonstration if their calls went unheeded.
“We will demonstrate one of these days for the authorities to know and see how we are suffering here during classes hours,” he added.
When contacted, Mr Ebenezer Forson Appiah, the Upper Denkyira East MCE, said the Assembly had made fruitless efforts in engaging leadership of the illegal miners to halt their operations, but to no avail.
The Assembly lacked the logistics needed such as speed boats and life jackets to do the job and had written to the Regional Security Council for support, he said.
