The Minister of Roads and Highways, Kwasi Amoako Atta, has ordered the arrest of two illegal miners who were causing obstruction and damage on the tarred Akrofufu to Twapease road in the Atiwa West District of the Eastern region.The illegal miners were operating a low bird truck vehicle carrying an excavator from their mining site close to the roadside. Their activities led to the spread of mud on the tarred road, resulting in a traffic jam.

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The Minister, who also serves as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the region, was accompanied by local governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) constituency executives. They encountered the chaotic scene while returning from a funeral in Twapease over the weekend.<img alt="" class="wp-image-541229"/>Appalled by the mess and road damage caused by the illegal miners, Minister Amoako Atta ordered his police guard to apprehend the culprits.

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Two of them were arrested, while others managed to escape. The detainees were then compelled to clean the mud off a section of the road, covering about one kilometer.<img alt="" class="wp-image-541231"/>Expressing his frustration, Minister Amoako Atta remarked, "Their galamsey activities are destroying the road constructed with a huge amount of the taxpayers' money. Look at the destruction.

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"He emphasized his commitment to tackling illegal mining in the region, declaring a "negative tolerance" approach. He vowed that illegal miners would be clamped down upon, aligning with the government's stance to combat illegal mining for environmental protection."We have to protect our water bodies, we have to protect our land," he emphasized, echoing the President's efforts to preserve natural resources for future

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generations.

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