Tinga (N/R), Sept 19, GNA - Vice President John Dramani Mahama at the weekend called on small-scale illegal Miners in the Tinga area of the Bole District to legalize their activities by registering with the right authorities.

He said the illegal mining popularly known as 'Galamsey' had claimed a lot of lives in other mining areas and Government would no longer countenance such activities. Vice President Mahama said these when he made a whistle stop at Tinga in the Bole District on his way to join the chiefs and people of the North Mo Traditional Area at Bamboi, to celebrate their yam festival.

The Vice President explained that a mining officer would be posted to the area to supervise activities of miners provided they would register with the appropriate authorities and abide by mining laws of the country.

He said: "A lot of people have died through galamsey and we do not want the mistakes and deaths recorded at other Mining areas to be repeated here in the Northern region." Vice President Mahama promised the people of Tinga that Government would upgrade the health centre there into a Polyclinic and provide potable water for the people.

He expressed satisfaction on the progress of work on the rural electrification programme in the area and gave the assurance that most of the communities would receive their share of the facility. Wura Alhassan Amankwa, Chief of Tinga, commended Government for embarking on the rural electrification in the area. He appealed to Government to honour its promise of providing the people of Tinga with potable water and upgrading of the health centre. For some months now, illegal mining has become common in Tinga and its environs attracting a large number of people from the Ashanti, Northern, Brong Ahafo and Western Regions to the business. Some people have abandoned their traditional occupation to benefit from the 'lucrative' trade, others such as students were dropping out of school to join the band wagon.

The situation is resulting in land degradation and social problems such as drug abuse, teenage pregnancy and alcoholism in the area. 19 Sept. 10