Residents of Asuoho Konkoma, a small farming community in the Bosomtwe District, say they are living in fear as illegal mining activities — locally known as galamsey — threaten to destroy their only basic school and health centre.
Community members told The Source that illegal miners have taken over large portions of land reserved for public facilities, digging deep pits dangerously close to the buildings and putting the safety of pupils, teachers, and health workers at risk.
“The miners are now operating right on the school premises,” one resident said. “They’ve dug near the classrooms, and if this continues, the structure will soon collapse.”
The Asuoho Konkoma Health Centre, which serves several nearby villages, is also at risk. Residents said miners are now working just metres away from the facility, raising concerns about contamination, noise, and the weakening of the building’s foundation.
“The same thing is happening at the health centre,” another resident explained. “If security authorities don’t act fast, we will soon lose our only clinic.”
Locals say their complaints to district authorities and the police have gone unanswered, leaving them frustrated and helpless as the miners continue to operate openly. They have appealed to the Ashanti Regional Security Council to deploy security forces to halt the activities before a disaster occurs.
“We are on the brink of losing both the school and the hospital,” one community leader warned. “We can’t sit and watch while our children’s future and our only healthcare facility are destroyed.”
No official was available for comment. Illegal mining, or galamsey, remains a major environmental and social challenge in Ghana, damaging farmlands, polluting rivers, and endangering lives across several regions, despite repeated government crackdowns.
