Prosecute sand winners, wetland encroachers - Asokwa MCE to police

The Municipal Chief Executive of Asokwa in the Ashanti Region,  Akwannuasah Gyimah, has appealed to the police to investigate and prosecute the perpetrators of illegal sand winners whose activities are threatening electricity pylons in the Chiapatre area.

He said the actions of the perpetrators of the illegal sand wining and the filling of wetland in the area were affront to the laws of the land and must not be left unchecked. He quoted the Section 92 of ACT 925 under the Land and Spatial Act, 2016 and said these two laws ban sand winning and wetland encroachments without authority.

Allegations

Addressing journalists in Asokwa yesterday, the MCE also denied allegations that the assembly caused the arrest of the Chief of Nahinso, Nana Addo Boamah.

Earlier, the MCE together with officials from GRIDCO and NADMO as well as some journalists went round the site of the sand winning and the encroached wetlands. It was clear that no authority was sought for the activities which were posing a serious threat to electricity pylons and destroying the wetlands.

Mr Gyimah noted that the assembly had always been guided by the laws regarding sand winning activities and the filling of wetlands for human habitation and would ensure that these laws were not flouted under the guise of construction of roads.

Genesis

Narrating the genesis of the issues, he said alarmed by the rate of sand winning with earth moving machines, the Assembly Member for the Chirapatre Electoral Area, Patricia Ahenkorah and the Asokwa NADMO Coordinator, Eric Akosah Yiadom, reported the development to the police.

He said the police went to the area of destruction and arrested two of the people working there, however, upon hearing of the arrest of the two, the Chief allegedly rushed to the media and claimed that he had rather been arrested for repairing portions of the road.

"The Chief in trying to run away from responsibility after the police had invited two assigns hurriedly put some three trips of the sand which had been illegally won from the site on the roadside close to where he was engaged in the illegality", the MCE stressed.

Illegality

Mr Gyimah expressed surprise that the one who engaged in the illegality could run to the media to court attention and sympathy by dabbling in untrue narrations about the issue.

The MCE stated that the assembly had always been guided by the law regarding sand winning activities and the filling of wetlands for human habitation. "I therefore want to put it on record that the Asokwa Municipal Assembly has not caused the arrest of any chief as claimed", the MCE emphasised.

Road Construction

The MCE disclosed that the road the chief claimed he was constructing had already been awarded on contract to Attacchy Construction Company, noting that the assembly would not shirk its responsibilities and rely on any individual to construct roads for the people.

He noted that the contractor had completed with the first phase of the road and waiting to mobilise to site so as to complete works.