400,000 youth 'galamseyers' to join YEA

About four hundred thousand youth who were involved in illegal mining otherwise known as "Galamsey" are to be engaged into an Alternative Livelihood program to earn them a decent livelihood.

For a start about a hundred thousand youth would be enrolled into the newly established Youth Enterprise Agency, where they will take up careers in the different modules.

President John Mahama, announced this when he called on the Okyenhene Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin at his Palace in Kyebi.

This was after President Mahama, cut the sod for work to start on the five-kilometers Kyebi town roads which fall under the Cocoa Roads Rehabilitation Project.

President Mahama, who expressed worry at the alarming rate of illegal mining in the country stated that when the alternative livelihood programme takes off, there will not be any excuse for the youth to engage in illegal small-scale mining.

According to President Mahama, it is regrettable that water bodies are being destroyed through the activities of galamseyers

The Okyenhene Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin, associated himself with President Mahama's resolve to find better livelihoods for young people involved in illegal mining.

The Okyehene mentioned how the Oti, Birim and Pra Rivers were being destroyed by activities of galamseyers.

Whilst calling on the anti-galamsey task-force to intensify their operations, the Okyehene appealed to government to streamline the activities of small scale miners rather than scrap it off completely.

Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin, also expressed gratitude to government for the road project.