Irate youth of Atronie in the Sunyani Municipality has given illegal miners one- week ultimatum to remove their machines, and mining equipment and vacate an illegal mining site in the area or face their wrath.

They threatened to burn excavators, mining equipment and implements at the site located at Jinijini, a forest fringe farming community, near the Atronie. During a visit to the site, Sompa FM noticed about seven excavators, two Chanfan machines and some tents at the site, as well as some fully armed private security operatives.

The armed numbering about five, who wore talismans and traditional regalia were positioned at strategic locations to protect the site as the miners undertake their illegal mining activities, popularly known as 'galamsey'.

It was sighted that the illegal had also used earth moving machines to construct a road through farms to the site, destroying acres of crops.

Nana Yaw Ampofo, spokesperson and the Secretary to the Atronie Traditional Authority which owes allegiance to the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II gave the order in an interview with Sompa FM and insisted that chiefs and people of the area had resolved to disallow any mining activity being legal or illegal in the area.

He said it was rather unfortunate that some illegal miners had defied consistent warnings from the government, and were determined to undertake galamsey on the Atronie stool land to destroy the Amoma River, forest resources and fertile farmlands.

Nana Ampofo noted that the Amoma River remained the major source of drinking water for the Atronie Township and the about 30 adjoining farming communities and villages. He alleged that due to the activities of the illegal miners and then private security guards around in the enclave could not go to their farms.

Sompaonline/K Peprah