Officials from the Lands and Natural Resources Ministry have visited Ntobronso, where some homes were torched after the OPERATION HALT team had stormed the community to clamp down on illegal mining also known as galamsey.
The incident happened on Wednesday, February 23 when the anti-galamsey task force led by the military extended the operation to the Atwima Mponua District of the Ashanti Region.
The OPERATION HALT team has been targeting excavators and other earth-moving machines used by illegal miners, who have heavily polluted the Offin River.
A house at Ntobronso was burnt as the military team was accused of deliberately targeting people’s homes, a claim they denied.
However, an investigation was launched into the incident.
A Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, George Mireku Duker together with some government officials has met victims at Ntobronso, one month after the incident.
He assured of government’s commitment to looking into the matter.
“I am here on a fact-finding mission,” he said. “I have seen it and I am going to give the feedback to the sector minister for us to advise the appropriate quarters accordingly.”
On the issue of compensation, he said “if there is the need for us to compensate, we will do the compensation and make sure there is peace here”.
The landlord, Amos Gyamfi, insisted: “I want my property back, so that there will be peace at Ntobronso.”
By William Evans-Nkum|3news.com|Ghana