‘We Cannot Eat Gold’: Offinsoman Hemaa Vows ‘Full Force’ to Stop Galamsey and Protect Farmlands

The paramount traditional authority in Offinso has delivered a powerful and uncompromising ultimatum to illegal miners (Galamsey operators), declaring that the Offinso Traditional Council will not allow the destruction of its land and water bodies.

The resolute stance was announced by Nana Afranewaa III, the Paramount Queen Mother of Offinso (Offinsoman Hemaa), during her address to the media at the 41st National Farmers’ Day Celebration on Friday, December 5, 2025, held under the theme: “Eat Ghana, Grow Ghana, Secure the Future.”

Nana Afrane Waa III framed the menace of Galamsey not just as an environmental problem, but as a “grave enemy” and a direct attack on the nation’s food security.

She stressed that the goals of self-reliance, encapsulated in the theme “Eat Ghana, Grow Ghana,” are being undermined by the devastating effects of illegal mining.

“We cannot talk about ‘Growing Ghana’ when our fertile lands are being destroyed. We cannot talk about ‘Securing the Future’ when our water bodies are being poisoned,” the Queen Mother declared.

Nana Afranewaa III detailed the triple threat posed by the activity:
1. Soil Degradation: Illegal mining strips the essential topsoil required for cocoa and other vital food crops.
2. Chemical Poisoning: It introduces dangerous chemicals, such as mercury, into the land, making staple crops unsafe for consumption.
3. Water Scarcity: It pollutes the rivers and streams that farmers desperately rely on for irrigation.

“If we allow Galamsey to continue, there will be no land left to grow the food we are urging Ghanaians to eat. We cannot eat gold, and we cannot drink mercury-polluted water,” she stated emphatically.

The Queen Mother’s address was the unequivocal commitment of the traditional leadership to halt these destructive activities.

“Therefore, I stand here today, with the full backing of the Offinso Traditional Council, to make our position crystal clear, The Offinso Traditional Council will NOT countenance Galamsey activities on our land,” she affirmed.

SikkaNews
Kwame Asare