The Okyenhene, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin, has threatened to sue any individual or institution that mentions his name in any galamsey discussion.
The warning comes on the back of a BNI report that fingered the paramount chief in the illegal mining trade.
Addressing members of the Council of State, who are touring galamsey affected towns, the Okyenhene said it is crazy for anyone to associate him with galamsey.
“There are eight regions that have these activities going on, why should I be the target? Today an institution of government, the BNI, goes to investigate this menace and somebody has the audacity to implicate me, if the land is mine and if I have an interest in gold, can’t I go to the minerals commission and pick up a licence and do mining legally, if that’s what I choose to do? So it’s crazy for anyone to think that I will get up and go and steal on my own land illegally, mind you! illegal mining is a criminal activity.
“So for anyone to impugn my name in a criminal activity is serious. We are not going to take this lying down. I have shed tears and anger knowing that what we are doing now is tearing the future of our children by this galamsey.
“Everybody knows that I’m against mining, not because I don’t want mining but because of what mining has done to our country. As far as the BNI is concerned, my lawyers are here; anybody that my lawyers hear impugn my name in galamsey will have to meet us in court,” the Okyenhene warned.
Meanwhile, the lands and natural resources minister John Peter Amewu has dismissed reports by the BNI that the Okyenhene is involved in galamsey.
