Ruler of the Asante Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has condemned illegal mining operations and has advised those involved in such operations to stop.

He said the illegal mining is causing damage and are destroying the water bodies and forests.

Delivering his keynote address at the Great Hall of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi on Wednesday, under the ‘Sustainable Small-Scale Mining for National Development” warned his chiefs to deter from the operation of galamsey.

Otumfuo Osei Tutu II said chiefs who are complicit in the act of illegal mining must know it is wrong and desist forthwith.

“Even while we were here, one person said the chiefs are those who give them the lands [for galamsey]. With that he said, any chief who has given out lands for galamsey you need to know that you’ve done wrong… If you go back to your area and truly you see that you’ve given out lands for galamsey then what kind of chief are you? It is wrong. So let’s be careful,” he said.

The Asantehene further gave indications that he will deal with his sub-chiefs found to be complicit in the activities of illegal mining. He said he has already received reports about such incidents within the region and will soon be investigating them.

“On my part, I have already warned my Chiefs and elders against participation in such illegalities, and I will not hesitate to strongly sanction any such infraction. Already I have had reports on some things happening at Amanse, the Fomena area, and I will be investigating that to see what is happening,” he added.

This operation he said is destroying the water bodies which deprive people living in such communities to get access to potable water.