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The Headmaster of the Christ the King School in Donkorkrom in the Prestea-Huni Valley District of the Western Region, Samuel Nartey, has resigned to fully engage in illegal small-scale business (Galamsey).
Samuel Nartey, formerly the headmaster of Christ the King School in Donkorkrom, Prestea-Huni Valley District, Western Region, left to pursue a career in shady small-scale commerce (Galamsey).
He said that he decided to enter galamsey since he was unable to provide for his family as a school principal.
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“I stopped teaching because of financial difficulties. I could get money to cater for my wife and children because I was being paid ¢500 and so, I decided to quit to go into galamsey,” he told TV3’s Eric Yaw Adjei in an interview.
One of his teachers Noah Fiakodzie who taught in the school for a year also quit because of poor salary.
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Mr Fiakedzie intimated that he earned ¢200 monthly when he was working as a teacher but now, he earns ¢300 daily from galamsey.
Though he loves to teach he believes galamsey offers him the best opportunity to make ends meet.
He said “I stopped teaching just a year ago. I earned ¢200 when I was teaching but I stopped to do galamsey and by the Grace of God, I make ¢300 a day from the galamsey.”
Since galamsey may pollute water supplies and harm the environment, the government is now attempting to eradicate the pest.
The cost of water treatment by the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) has increased from 7,000 per day to 80,000 per day, as reported by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. This increase is attributed to the effects of illicit small scale mining.
This, he argued, is a strong ace supporting the case for enhanced collaboration in the battle against galamsey.
On Monday, October 17 during his tour of the region, Mr. Akufo-Addo spoke in Konongo, Ashanti Region, saying, “I am particularly concerned about the danger to the water source, because for instance [in Konongo], because of the galamsey phenomenon the cost of production of water by the GWCL has gone up from 7,000 Cedis per day to now, 80,000 Cedis per day.” It is very evident that we must work together to end the galamsey threat.
President Obama has previously said that the current administration’s efforts to combat galamsey are unparalleled.
He told Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II on Sunday at the Manhyia Palace.
“No government has shown commitment to the fight against galamsey than my government,” he stressed.
President Akufo-Addo said this on Day 1 of his a four-day tour of the Ashanti Region.
He is expected to visit the Boankra integrated logistics terminal, also known as the Boankra inland port, and inspect progress of work.
He will also inspect the Agenda 111 project at Kokoben.
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