Boundary Commission coordinator visits 'Dollar Power' galamsey community

The National co-ordinator of Boundary Commission Major General Emmanuel Wekem Kotia and other officials on 18th, 2023 visited a small Scale Mining Community in the western part of the Bole District on the Ghana Cote d’ivoire called ‘Dollar Power’ but originally known as Sindi.

The other members of the team included the Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry commission, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Mineral Commission Mr Samuel Tika, the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Bole and other dignitaries.

In a speech at the Dollar Community, Major General Kotia said thaty had reports about the tempering of and displacement of the boundary in the community and that they came for a section and verified a number of boundary pillars along the international boundary lines between Ghana and Cote d’ivoire were removed.

Major General Kotia said; “As a result of that we engaged the Chiefs and Community leaders of Dollar Power, then we were able to identify some of the underlying reasons why this has happened and its partly because of illegal mining that was going around , just because people do not understand the reason the pillars are there”.

The National co-ordinator of Boundary Commission Major General Emmanuel Wekem Kotia added that after a Community sensitization during visits in subsequent periods the people at Dollar Power Community came to understand and recognise that the pillars are very important landmarks for the country.

He said; “I can happyly announce that there has not been any tempering of the pillars since those that were identified in 2021 and I must say that the sensitization that went on during that period was very significant and helped to achieve this”.

Major General Kotia added; “Today, we are in here to make a further assessment of the area and to inform you that very soon we are going to conduct a reaffirmation of the land boundary with our counterparts from Cote d’ivoire.

“It is important for the Community to cooperate with the various agencies at the Ghana boundary commission who will be here to undertake this assignment.

“We also want to appeal to you to continue to be watch dogs of the boundarys markings and the thick plantations that has been used to reinforce the boundary markings in this area.

“We want to say that as a result of the Ghana boundary commissions intervention, a feeder road is being construct by the Minister of Roads and Highways from Ntereso river along the international boundary line to this place, and our main aim for this road is to use it to regularly inspect our boundary lines and as well as meet the needs of the Community so far as the collaboration of this community is concerned”.

Major General Kotia further said; “Invariable, I want to say that, this is a sensitization that has been contributed by the forestry commission, mineral commission and what have you and as I mention earlier on, the tempering of the pillars that we identified in 2021 was as a result of illegal mining and we want to appeal to all of you to guard against tempering with these pillars because these are international landmarks that serves both Ghana and Cote d’ivoire oire”.

He added; “I want to thank you so much especially the Traditional leaders and Community leaders for the cooperation you’ve given to us over the period and we want to assure you that we will continue to come to this community to undertake the various activities that will take to secure our international land markings”.

The Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Mineral Commission Mr Samuel Tika on his part promised to enroll the Small Scale Miners into the Community Mining Scheme in the shortest possibly time.

He said; “If you are not accepted by the Community mining leaders it means that you cannot do the mining here because those of you who come from far away mostly are the ones who cause the problems.

Mr Tika added that; “because you think that the people within the Community do not know you, so if you want to be part of the Community mining scheme or be part of the mining that is going to be regularize here then you make sure that you become a known person within the Community so that they can identify where you live, identify where you are so that you cannot hit and run, you cannot do thinge illegally, pollute our water bodies, destroy the environment and go away free”.

The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Bole Madam Veronica Alele Heming said President Nana Akufo-Addo never said he will stop galamsey or small scale mining but to regularise it and put the people into Community Mining Schemes.

She said the team was not there to put fear into anyone but to help them. She said the area would be developed for the benefit of the small Scale Miners around the area.

In an address the Secretary of the Dollar Power Community Mr Mahama Tahiru said the community also known as Sindi has been in existence for a very long time just like any other communiry in Ghana but lost its inhabitants through invasion by Samori Toure a noted slave raider from 1895 to 1897 and so the land was left farming by Ivorian farmers and herdsmen.

He said the community was however rejuvenated by Mohammed Seidu aka Dollar Power and team after realizing that Ivorians are mining gold on the land so being controlleg by Ivorians rebels around the year 2013.

The Secretary of the Community said Mr Mohammed Seidu aka Dollar Power who is a business man and his team realised that the land is in Ghana and belongs to Gonjas and so stopped the rebels at Code d’voire from coming there to mine though it was not an easy zimce there were always scuffles between the rebels and the team Mohammed Seidu (Dollar Power) since they make a fortune there but the Ghanaians ultimately succeeded in driving them out of the land.

Tahiru Mahama said in the course of time whenever the illegal miners were sneaking to the Ghana land they will say they were going to ‘Dollar Power’ since he was in charge of the affairs of the area hence the name ‘Dollar power community’.

According to Mr Mahama Tahiru, Mohammed Seidu aka Dollar Power later hinted the late Paramount Chief of the Bole Traditional Area Bolewura Awuladese Pontonprom (I), about the rich and abandoned land and the Bolewura subsequently enskin the current Chief Mr Mahama Awudu Abott to take charge of the affairs of the land with a current population of about 8000 inhabitants.

He said; “The activities here in Dollar power include micro -medium small scale farming, business and commercial animal rearing, large scale farming, cash crop farming and petty gold mining.

On the concerns of the Community Mahama Tahiru said, First of the security of the community is second to none and apart from the local security at the Chief Palace, we have zero security from the government that lives with us or close to us”.

He said; “We however experience security once a year by operation Kandilugu and also by the recent diligence of your men that visit in respect to the boundary lines”.

Mahama Tahiru said; “We are therefore vulnerable to the invasion of any armed groups since we are at the boundary line with no security.

“We are appealing to the government that we are also Ghanians and deserve this fundlamental rights and so we need a Police post, Immigration, military and any other relevant security presence”.

Mr Tahiru added; “Secondly, Roads are another major challenges that hamper the securty of the town. None of the roads leading to Dollar power is motorable. The shortest root is from Bole to Ntereso across the Black Volta river and to Dollar Power and its environs.

“We propose a bridge to be constructed over the Ntereso river and road to be constructed for the first time from Ntereso to Dollar Power in order to enhance easy movement of goods and essential services in the enclave and also properly link the boarders of Ghana and La Cote D’voire”.

The Secretary of the Dollar Power community further said; “We also want network coverage for easy commumication to the outside world and can always say something when we see somethng as the call being made by the natiomal security Secretariat”.

He added; “Lastly and most importantly, water is another challenge”

He said; “The unly source of water there was a dugout borehole at a Community near the Ivorian border called Dablakuro done the Chairman of this community Mr Mohammed Seidu Dollar power which was destroyed and vandahied by the Ivorian soldiers that are stationed at the border”.

Mr Tahiru said; “Their action was triggered after operation calm life visited the area and this left us with no option than to seek water from our counterparts at Cote D’voire at their own will and sometimes they refused us at any little misunderstanding”.

Mahama Tahiru said; “Finally we urge the Government to enroll us into the Government Flagship “Community Mining Scheme” considering our large population and to curb the galamsey menace as law abiding ciizens”.